Strange and Unexpected Beginnings
by natsumi-chan
Summary: “So I take it you’re the thief.” “Yeah, so?” “So? Because of you I haven’t eaten, you brat!” “I can’t help it if you’re too slow, and since you were, it’s my food because I got there first! You’re not taking mine!” CHAP. 14 UP! COMPLETE!
1. Carmel Colored Kit

Hmm...okay, I guess from all the fanfiction I've read that I need a disclaimer here. Well, here goes. I don't take credit for YYH or any of Togashi's characters/storyline/ character designs, etc. I only claim ownership of my OC's ( like my heroine Natsumi, and any other characters of my own creation whom I might add later on…you'll know them…)

"Random": dialogue

' Random': thoughts _Random_ emphasis/ flashbacks

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Chapter 1: Carmel –colored kit

"Stop thief!"

"You little bitch!"

Angry shouts tore through the polluted air of the demon world. The source of all this commotion? A group of demons who had just become the unfortunate victims of a food theft. Not that they couldn't get more, but the thought of someone stealing from them and getting away with it was quite infuriating. Especially since they got a look at the thief; who turned out to be no more than a pint- sized kit running with the wind, her long ebony hair carried by the breeze. Long silver streaks mingled among the thick strands of black. Her skin was the color of caramel. Dark amber eyes glinted mischievously as the thief grinned back at her victims. She was quite small, not much older than four or five in human years.

"Give it back, you wench! I'll have your head!"

The fox-girl gave answered by blowing a loud raspberry and saluting with a certain crude finger gesture before disappearing into the shady shelter of the forest.

OOOOO

The inn echoed with impatient foot taps as Kuronue waited for his partner–in-crime to finish his business, so to speak. The two were thieves, but not just any thieves: some pretty damn well known thieves, unless you'd been sleeping under a rock for the last several decades. In fact, they had completed another of their "objectives" with pounds of gems/artifacts as usual, and had sought out a place to celebrate. (Either they were well respected, feared or both, so they could get into pretty much wherever they wanted.) Kurama, being the wily kitsune he was, wanted to go to a brothel (again). It was cute at first, but the bat/chimera demon thought Youko was obsessed with women. Not that Kuronue didn't have a nice fuck now and then, but even he grew weary of these idiotic whores once in a while. Considered as handsome as the kitsune with his lengthy sapphire tresses always tied back under his hat, he'd scored a fair amount of women. In fact, he he'd just finished making some 'fun' this evening …_He'd_ finished hours ago, however. The damn fox was insatiable.

"Goddamn it…How long could it possibly take to get it down! If he'd only taken one for once in his sorry life he'd be out now."

He sweatdropped; he was used to being left waiting like this, but it was extremely irritating nevertheless.

"Screw him, I'm leaving then.," Kuronue spat. It was then that he overheard several voices beyond the old door.

"Gods," A female voice spoke up. "That was...incredible."

"You're a God," Another spoke up. What sounded like a chorus made their pleasure known.

"Don't go, Youko..."

Another voice, this time male spoke up, "Hn. My partner's probably waiting...you know how it is."

Kuronue could almost see the egomaniacal grin on the kitsune's face as he spoke. Kuronue's sweatdrop grew; he would kill the bastard. A few moments later, the door opened, and Kuronue was greeted with an unnerving sight. Out stepped a tall, lean figure dressed in a white robe/fighting outfit that was still halfway off his well- toned torso. His hair was no improvement either; long, elegant silver strands were mussed up towards the back, where two silver fox ears lay. Allegedly this was the "legendary thief", Youko Kurama.

"... I hate you."

The kitsune feigned an expression of hurt and confusion.

"Why? What did I do?"

"Once again, you made me sit out here for hours while you screwed every whore in here! 'That's right, forget about Kuronue, I'm just gonna screw the whole night and leave him for dead!'"

This time, a genuine look of puzzlement surfaced on the fox's face. "Why didn't you go find some women? You always do that! You don't go entertain yourself and then blame me later for having a little fun. Besides, you're being too damn histrionic for your own good."

"Well maybe if your brain were as large as your penis, you'd recall that I don't care for those annoying sluts, but I do so once in a while. Unlike you, I'm not a bloody nymphomaniac. Perhaps if I'm bored on occasion but you, Youko, can't even go a full day without screwing, and it always has to be a never-ending freaking orgy with you! Besides, you _said_ it would only take a minute!"

Youko frowned. "What is wrong with you, boy? Have you no sense of fun at all? And since when have I ever kept my word?"

"You son of a bitch….! Have you not been listening to a word I've said? And how dare you use that condescending tone with me!" Kuronue roared. He stomped past the seemingly ignorant fox and out through the door of the inn.

"Forget it, let's go. There's no helping _you_."

OOOOO

The fox kit grinned as she approached a clearing. Another victorious theft! Good thing too, she was starving! Her hideout came into view, a small cave whose entrance was partially covered by fairly thin tree branches. She pushed these aside, entering of small home. There was a great ripping noise as the kit attacked her bag.

"Hmm...This looks yucky, and this and this..." Finally she emerged from the bag with a pile of various cakes and tarts.

"Mmm-hmm!"

For a while, there wasn't a sound in the cave save for a lot of furious munching as she gobbled down her rewards. Then she finally had her fill, with still quite a bit of the treats left; it was at times like these that she wished she had someone to share them with.

"Oh well, more for me!" Suddenly, there were voices outside the cave.

"What? What the hell do you mean it was stolen? _All_ of it?" A spastic voice snapped.

"Look around, do you _see_ any more food here?" The owner had a very disgruntled tone.

"Don't you talk that way to me, I could kill you right here, right now if I wanted to..." The first voice responded.

"Who would steal all that food?"

"I'll tell you who it was," a new voice piped up angrily. "It was that damn kit again! She's been thieving from a lot of decent vendors for the last several weeks! She's only a whelp, and yet these demons are too stupid to catch her."

Now that the conversation turned to her, the kit moved toward the entrance of the cave, with unhidden curiosity.

"And I suppose you're any smarter than they are...? "Yet another voice pointed out. This one smooth, deep and blank, yet there was a trace of amusement in it at the moment.

"Oh yes, it looks like you've turned out some fine results." Some snickers were heard.

"Hn, well, you haven't seen this child. She's obviously skilled or I would have caught her and skinned her alive by now!"

The amused voice responded; "You know, Kuronue, it's pathetic how some demons have to conjure excuses for their weakness. "

Kuronue smirked. "It really is." Then his smirk transformed into a frown.

"But enough of this; where do we get our food now?"

"Why don't we ask whoever's in there?" The one called Youko pointed to the cave.

"Funny I didn't notice that before. You sense someone?"

"Yes, and I can smell them." It seemed that they'd discovered some prey. The day wasn't a loss after all. Hopefully it was something edible though.

Kuronue sweatdropped. "That always creeps me out when you say that...I mean, you don't normally '_sniff out'_ prey..."

Inside the cave, the fox-kit grew steadily more nervous as the thieves approached. ' What'll I do?' Finally deciding on a course of action, she seized a small dagger hidden among the piles of contraband stored at the back of the cave.

"Why don't you come out? And I'll consider sparing your life." Youko smirked.

The kit walked out of the cave, holding her ground defiantly against the 'bigger children.'

" The food's mine, you can't take it." Scowling, she pulled out her dagger and waved it threateningly. The theft victims were angry, of course.

"It's _you_! Give us back our food!"

They proceeded to charge the little kit but found nothing but the ground when someone's foot appeared out of nowhere. They found themselves sprawled quite ungracefully on the forest floor. The kit found herself face to face with the calculating orbs of Youko Kurama.

"So I take it you're the thief." The kitsune bandit commented, looking quite amused.

"Yeah, so?"

"So!" Kuronue spat, "Because of you I haven't eaten, you brat!"

The kit responded by making a face at him.

"I can't help it if you're too slow, and since you were, it's my food because I got there first!  
You're not taking mine!"

Kuronue looked as if he'd like to try and jump the kit too; nuisance... They could just kill her and take the food, but no. Once again that goddamn fox stood in the way of his meal.

"And if we refuse to go away?" The kitsune inquired of the kit. "Maybe we'll just take what's rightfully ours."

The kit hissed "Then I'll kill you!" She charged toward the complacent fox-man, who simply turned to dodge her assault, sending his attacker stumbling. The youko picked up the kit's weapon, examining it curiously.

"Not bad, little one, but you can't expect to defeat us with this." He tossed the weapon back toward the kit and started to enter the cave, but was greeted by an assault from behind. The kit latched onto the startled fox and attempted to slit his throat, but unfortunately, her small arms could not reach his neck. While all this was happening, the 'theft victims' had long since left, deciding that this was a waste of their time after all. Screw it; let the little witch contract food poisoning or something. After several more attempts of bashing, scratching, and strangling the youko, the kit was finally removed, only to be suspended in mid-air by the kitsune thief.

"Put me down, damn it!" She was furious. How dare these bastards come into her territory and try to steal from her? Why couldn't they just leave her alone? All she wanted to do was eat!

"Cute." Youko grinned, still holding the kit in a near death-grip above the ground. "You know, I could just kill you now, little one. It's not wise to cross me." No response except a glare.

"Goddamn it, Youko, come on!"

Kuronue had had enough of this; if he didn't get food soon there would be hell to pay. A low, ominous rumble from the pit of his stomach confirmed this.

"Let's just get back to camp and I'll cook something!"

With one last dirty look at the child, the chimera stormed back into the tapestry of the forest. Youko put the kit back down.

"Hn. You're lucky today, little one. But you should take care or the next time you might not be so lucky."

"Don't call me that, jerk."

"... You have a lot of spirit, what do they call you?"

"Not telling." And the kit stuck her tongue out once again. Their gazes met from a few moments, before an irritated yell pierced the air.

"Youko! Move your fat ass, you prick!"

"I'm coming, damn it..." Oh, would he pay for that one.

" My ass is nice and _tight_, thank you very much!"

Kurama turned once more to look at the kit, but she'd already disappeared, probably back inside the cave. Oh well, he had a feeling he'd be seeing the little spitfire again.

So, how'd you all like my first chapter? I tried my best to make it feel genuine instead of superficial. And I refuse to let this become a Mary Sue or anything( I'd rather die). Hope you enjoyed yourself, and I quite look forward to posting more chapters in the future; this was really fun! Anyway, I'd really like to hear what you thought about this, and/or how I could improve it or any comments in general, so go on and review me! Until next time!

Please, _PLEASE _review! I don't care if it's a really short one.


	2. Wandering

Hi! Well, looks like I've made it to chapter 2! I always have the tendency to leave things up in the air… especially when it comes to writing. But I'll finish this, I swear! It's easier since it's not going to be too long; it's really just an experiment to see if I want to keep writing.

Anyway, same disclaimer as before: don't own YYH, just any OCs that appear. This disclaimer carries through the rest of the fic, of course!

" Random" – Dialogue

_Random-_ Emphasis/Flashbacks

'Random'-Thoughts

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

Hn. You're lucky today, little one. But you should take care or the next time you might not be so lucky."

"Don't call me that, jerk."

"... You have a lot of spirit, what do they call you?"

"Not telling." And the kit stuck her tongue out once again. Their gazes met from a few moments, before an irritated yell pierced the air.

"Youko! Move your fat ass, you prick!"

"I'm coming, damn it..."

Here's Ch. 2:

Wandering

The days in the Makai grew ever colder, not that you could say there were actual seasons. The days grew colder because you moved to different parts of the Demon Realm, especially the northern parts. This was what the kit usually did if hunters came too close, and did it more often since her encounter with Youko Kurama. They had no idea how hard it was to get the materials she stole, and they just wanted to take it from her. She may have been a small fry, but she had plenty of bite to back up her bark. Up until this moment, she'd been able to pick fights with lower class demons and emerge successful ( although admittedly they were pretty low-class). This was a trait she had no doubt picked up from the bandits who had taken her in. They had all been useless compared to her, she had been trained (although somewhat lousily) and made to run "errands" for them and what did they do? They left her where she was. She had left one day and returned to find nothing there but a few weapons. Bewildered and alone, the fox-girl had taken a dagger for herself and fled, with nothing but a name; Natsumi.

OOOOO

"Say did you hear about that little fox-brat that's been running around here?" A drunken voice slurred enthusiastically.

"Oh yeah..." Responded another inebriated voice.

"But the weird thing is, she only steals food. She must be a real idiot."

Both of these men were part of a group of bandits that roamed the darker parts of the forests. It was a group of bandits with a pretty heavy reputation, so no one dared to enter that territory. A group led by the infamous Youko Kurama, of course. Of course, these men were pretty much worthless without their two leaders, but they have a reputation at least, so who cared? Right now, they were located at one of the group's main camps, where a drunken party was currently taking place around several fires. Of course, this occurred practically every night, providing the men an endless supply of booze, food, and women.

"Well, what more can you expect from a whelp? Can you see a _kit_ breaking into a vault or something?"

" Good point…A spore like that won't last for long out here."

The conversation ended just as their leaders emerged from the southern section of the forest.

"Finally!"

Kuronue felt like kissing the ground. It was a 3-hour hike back to the campsite and there were no places to stop for food (or anyone to rob for that matter) By now, the sky was veiled by a shade of deep sapphire. Kuronue felt that he really could murder Youko for this pain-in-the-ass delay. It was then that he saw the raging fires.

"Hey, you bums! Did you save some food for me? There'd better be some left or you'll all be meeting my scythes face- to- face!"

The 'lackey' bandits came over to shower the chimera with various plates of meat and fruit (but mostly meat).

"Damn, now this is what I'm talking about!" He exclaimed between huge mouthfuls of food.

"Hmrph?" (Hmm?) "Come join us, Youko!"

The fox sweatdropped. First he wanted to kill him, and now he was back to being amiable again? Boy, he certainly picked the strange ones as his partners.

"Um, no thanks. Not hungry at the moment," Kurama declined, wandering off a little ways from the campsite again, until he came to a small cliff. Gazing over the edge, in contemplation, he felt very much at peace. Of course, that day he had also gained even more riches, so that may play a part in his contentedness as well. However, he was jerked out of his reverie by the sight of something particularly interesting.

"It seems I was correct after all."

OOOOO

Natsumi shivered. It was freezing in these areas, but she couldn't go back. There were hunters all over, not to mention she didn't have the strength to endure fight after fight after fight. This was the only way to avoid them all. She wanted to survive and live to become something. She didn't want to be scared or weak anymore. She would not rely on the help of others.

"W-what's that...?"

Shivering, Natsumi saw what seemed to be a cave, identical to her old one, only considerably smaller. The walls came down so far on the entrance, she had to crawl inside. . Once inside, she curled up into a ball for warmth. There was just enough room for her to lie down and still keep a little food. Quite suitable, as the only items she had with her were the few pieces of cloth she could swipe to construct a makeshift bed and some (extremely thin) blankets. Soon sleep overpowered her.

OOOOO

Natsumi found her self jolted awake. There were strange sounds coming from the forest. When she gazed outside the cave, she saw that the sun had already set and the moon was gradually ascending. She left the comforts of the cave, staking a place at the top. There appeared to be a fire some ways away. She could also hear a lot of shouting. What was going on over there? Was she about to get caught…? Even she couldn't fight the hunters. Edging slightly closer while taking refuge beneath a cliff, her ears picked up several drunken conversations, none of which she could interpret very well however. Natsumi didn't know who they were, but they didn't sound so threatening to her. All the same, she turned and went back to her 'hideout', unaware of the gold-hued eyes following her every move. It was then that her nose picked up a certain delicious aroma.

"Meat!"

Food had been harder to get lately; she couldn't find any places to steal from for some reason. It didn't help that demons tried to jump her every where she went to forage either. So she had gone with little or without food for the last few days. She couldn't actually hunt game on her own, because she didn't know how, and they always managed to get away before she could at least try to take them down.

"It smells so yummy."

Her stomach grumbled, and she sat in her current position, listening to the loud conversation, and savoring the scent of cooked meat. After a while, she went back to her cave and lay down, unwilling to risk stealing from the group; she couldn't fight them all at once after all. Her chocolate eyes watered; she was positively starved. A little while late she was once again disturbed, this time by a soft shuffling noise. She went back to the area under the cliff where she had hidden before. There was no one there. When she looked down however, there were plates of meat, rice, and bread lying there. She sniffed and poked at it, deciding whether or not she should accept it. She followed her stomach and she pounced on the food, gobbling it with admirable vigor. The food disappeared fairly quickly, but by Natsumi was too sleepy to care by the time she was finished. Casting one last tired glance over to the campsite, she scrambled back over to her cave and went to sleep.

OOOOO

"Where the hell were you?" Kuronue interrogated his partner. "You were gone for the longest time!"

"Since when did you start caring about me so much?" The kitsune replied. "You know, you're starting to sound quite a bit like a woman." A smirk disturbed his other wise expressionless face.

"Screw you. The way you're going, _somebody _has to worry about you. But forget it, I was wrong. I _don't_ care if you get jumped. I _don't_ care if you get killed."

"Hn. You need to relax a little. I was just out for a walk, if that makes you feel any better, 'onna'." Before the furious Kuronue could retaliate, the kitsune walked off again, this time to go to sleep.

OOOOO

The sun's golden rays (or as golden as they could get in the Makai) creeped over the ground, eventually spilling into the cave. Natsumi slowly opened her eyes, rubbing at them sleepily as she made to exit her cave. Who knows how long the sun had indeed been up. Looking to the north, she caught a glimpse of a snowy mountain in the distance. She was very curious as to what lay beyond those mountains. Probably a "funner" place.

"..."

Gazing out at the snow- peaked tops, she barely heard the alarmed cries carrying over from the forest. The tone of the voices captured the kit's interest. She slid back inside her cave as the voices came closer.

"They're here!" A frantic voice said in a hushed voice. "Only a few miles!"

"Calm down, for God sake." Another voice ordered. "We've been given the orders to head northeast, so why are we sitting on our asses? Or are you afraid?"

"Shut up!" The first voice protested furiously. "I'm just not gonna have my career as a thief end abruptly because we weren't keeping track of the bloody hunters!"

The voices then disappeared; Natsumi didn't know where they went and didn't care. It was time to go.

Natsumi immediately grabbed her stuff and fled north as fast as her legs could carry her. Her scent couldn't pick up any trespassers so all seemed to be fine path-wise.

' I ain't ready to go!' She gasped, taking a few moments to catch her breath before setting off again.

She failed to hear the footsteps following her trail.

Natsumi decided to take a break for a while, until she got a good glimpse of where she was. Craning her head up, she got her first up-close glimpse of the mountain. She stared in awe. After a few minutes, she pressed on.

OOOOO

Kitoru scowled. What kind of a job was this, following a bunch of idiot thieves around? And yet, he never caught the fools. No, it wasn't _them_ who outsmarted the bounty hunter. It was him, that so-called legendary bandit. Bastard. One day he'd have his head on a platter…it was only a matter of time. Of course, this renegade didn't realize that if he'd bothered to go back a few miles, he would have found the demon he so desperately wanted dead. But Kitoru would never realize it. All of a sudden, something small and brown caught his gray, vacant eyes.

"What's that…?" Upon further scrutinizing he concluded that it was a kit.

"What would a little spore like that be doing up here...? Come to think of it, isn't that the little runt that's been stealing around these parts?"

He'd heard descriptions of the thief from various sources; annoying little pest. He watched as she got smaller and smaller. Well, at least he'd have some fun now. He needed the stress relief..

"C-Cold..."

Natsumi shivered. As little progress as she had made up the mountain so far, it was still frigid. All she had on was her thin wine-colored fighter's outfit, sleeveless, which she had worn for as long as she could remember.

"...Unh... I don't wanna die..."

Her hands had frozen nearly to the point of numbness; it hurt all over. She stopped to blow into them, hoping to provide some heat for herself. Snow began to fall, feather-light at first but grew steadily heavier as time passed. No matter, it was harmless snow. Just as she was about to resume her climb, she heard footsteps approach.

"Who's there?"

No response, but the footsteps came ever closer, resulting in the kit drawing her dagger from a small leather sheath on her waist. The footsteps came closer and closer, and the snowfall began to slow, but only just enough to allow a glimpse at the man approaching her. A tall figure with long black hair tied into a sort of ponytail. Cold, malicious grey eyes held the kit in their sights. He wore all black, including a cloak that swirled about his ankles. Around his waist there appeared to be several different types of blades and chains. Natsumi had a bad feeling about this man, but there was nowhere to run, as she had backed up right into the mountain's wall. She'd have to fight this weird stalker.

"…"

"Well, well, what do we have here?" The threatening man smirked. " What's a child like you doing up here hmm..?"

The sky darkened, the winds began to howl.

"I can do what I want." Natsumi snarled. "Go away and leave me alone." She waved her dagger threateningly in spite her nervousness, which the man picked up on with smug satisfaction.

"I don't think so, small one. You are a wanted criminal. You're the kit who's been stealing from all these idiots. Rumor has it that it was merely food, but I don't care. I think all types of criminals should be incapacitated. And by that of course, I mean executed."

He moved closer to the kit, drawing out a set of heavy chains.

"Besides, I was having a bad day up until now. Your blood might make me feel better."

He lunged at the kit.

OOOOO

They had to move further north. Those hunters were far closer than anticipated. What a pain in the ass. But they'd get away as always, because he knew how to keep his band out of trouble. He was no fool. And there was really nothing to fear. Once they'd made it farther north, they'd head eastward, towards forests far thicker and more dangerous, at least to _ordinary_ demons. Where the territory was almost completely uninhabited, save for a small peaceful village, which he knew wouldn't give them any trouble. Youko smirked. They would have no trouble from those inhabitants. He could see that they had already put quite a bit of distance between themselves and the hunters. His thoughts on the kinds of items he would steal when they reached their new camp were interrupted by a piercing shriek, which echoed across the length of the wooded area.. It's effects made the thieves halt.

"What the hell was that?"

"I dunno, but it's freaky!"

"Think we should turn back?" This suggestion got the demon beaten up.

"Did you hear that, kitsune?" Kuronue asked, a bit startled himself. " Um, hello earth to Youko... Snap out of it, damn it!"

The kitsune's eyes had glazed over.

' Something's wrong, I can feel it ...'

Kurama had never experienced this kind of feeling before; a heavy feeling at the bottom of his stomach that wouldn't go away. He tuned into Kuronue's badgering.

"Good to see you're still here with us. We're going on, right?"

"Of course."

"Something wrong?"

"It's nothing. Let's go."

And that's the end of Chapter 2! What did you think? I thought it might be more dramatic to leave it at a cliffhanger; hehehe….Also, I'd like to thank my reviewers, you made me so happy! Free chocolate bars for you! I hope you continue to read and review, I love your love!


	3. Encounter

Wow, Chapter 3 already! This story's really coming along! I hope I make it to the end of the fic, though…

Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis/Flashbacks

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

"I don't think so, small one. You are a wanted criminal. You're the kit that's been stealing from all these idiots. Rumor has it that it was merely food, but I don't care. I think all criminals should be incapacitated. And by incapacitated, I mean die. Besides, I'm having a bad day; and your blood might make me feel better, small one, so don't take it personally."

' Something's wrong, I can feel it ...'

Kurama had never experienced this kind of feeling before; a heavy feeling at the bottom of his stomach that wouldn't go away. He tuned into Kuronue's badgering.

"Good to see you're still here with us. We're going on, right?"

"Of course."

"Something wrong?"

"It's nothing. Let's go."

Chapter 3: Encounter

Kitoru's swung the thick metal chains in the air; faster and faster they twirled about in his hand. Natsumi could hear the rush of air coming from this action. Finally Kitoru lashed out; the chains hit the spaces within inches of her. Natsumi leaped and dodged these, barely escaping the assault. The hunter's chains cracked the wall that she had been leaning against.

" Not bad, little one," he commented, pulled the chains out from the rocky surface. They landed on the ground before him.

"Still, you'll make this easier on yourself if you just give in."

In an instant he disappeared, reappearing behind Natsumi. Seizing the dagger and thrusting it forward, Natsumi met her attacker, only to nick his clothing. A brutal kick to the stomach sent her flying. With a sickening smack, the kit landed further down the mountain, where she lied still for several moments. The snow sported an unpleasant shade of crimson after Natsumi's impact.

"Nnnhhh..." The kit moaned, holding her head, feeling a strange liquid  
piling up in her hands. The world seemed to be spinning, and her head hurt; a lot. This bastard would pay.

The man grinned, moving to strike his prey again. What fun; and he was getting a monetary reward for _this_? Ah, the child had spirit; after that blow he was sure she'd be dead. He watches as she struggled to stand. Oh well, it all the more fun for him.

Natsumi snarled. This time he would die. Mustering up her strength, she leaped into the air, taking an offensive position from above. She aimed a punch at the cocky hunter.

"Yaaaaaaaaahh!"

So close to breaking his stupid nose, she could almost taste his blood. All of a sudden, she found that couldn't move. The hunter had captured her fist in his own freezing hand, making sure to crush her fingers.

Natsumi bit her lip fiercely, trying her best not to give him Kitoru the satisfaction of screaming.

There was a horrible crack, and Natsumi's arm snapped.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Her jaw cracked as his fist connected with her already bloody face. She once again met the rocky surface of the mountain, sliding a little ways.

"What a shame. Weak as a kitten after all." This was a truly enjoyable affair. He was feeling better already.

OOOOO

"Hah! We lost them! Dumb asses!"

"Damn straight! Of course we got away, we're the greatest bandits of all time!"

"Let's booze it up to commemorate our success!"

"Idiots," Kuronue grumbled. And just who did they think got them out of that mess?

"Those bums... hmm?"

He turned to talk to his partner, but saw nothing. That's when Kuronue saw he had fallen behind somewhat. The silver kitsune was frozen in place with that same spaced out look in his eyes.

Youko frowned. What the hell was going on? Why was he seeing this?

"What the hell's happened to her...?"

"What? What in God's name are you whispering about...?"

But the chimera's inquisition was ignored. Youko saw blood. It was everywhere, and he could hear someone's screams. And laughter...

OOOOO

She could barely move, if at all now. The cold worsened, although it hardly did anything to numb the pain. Kitoru hovered near her, amused at her predicament.

This was the end, but oh how he hesitated to conclude his 'recreational activity', as humans might put it. There was a pool of blood beneath Natsumi. He knew she was immobilized; he'd taken the liberty of breaking her left leg and severely bruising the other.

"Damn..."

The pain was so unbearable she could no longer hold back her 'weakness.' .

She coughed up what seemed like a gallon of blood.

"..."

She glared at up at her executioner. With every footstep he made, she tried harder to pull herself up, but it was no use. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her side. What she saw made her tremble uncontrollably. She thought she had felt something there before, but was too busy fighting 'him' off. It was her very own dagger embedded in her side, causing the pool of blood to spread over the snow. She coughed up more blood. Finally, 'he' was upon her. She closed her eyes, after using the last of her strength trying to get out of his grip, a futile effort. Maybe it would go quickly. He walked toward the edge of the ledge, which was, despite the height she had fallen, still a large distance from the ground. With one hard thrust, he tossed the terrified kit's body down it, nearly having his fill.

Natsumi couldn't longer move; there was nothing to do except scream. There was a trail of the crimson fluid coming from where she started to fall down the mountain. She was shaking harder than ever, tears streaming down her face. She was going to die.

"What's the matter small one…? In pain?"

This was simply too fun for Kitoru. But alas, he grew somewhat weary of the kit's weakness.

"Shall I end it for you then...?"

He licked the spilt blood from his chains, pressing his boot into her skull.

"Hmm. How should I finish this...?"

Finally deciding on the use of his heaviest chains, he swung them around his head, eager for the end.

" I do love my chains…" He smiled, a twisted expression of pleasure. He stepped closer, prepared to cut into Natsumi.

Before he could get the chains to connect with their target however, a foreign object from out of nowhere sliced his arm clean off. He dropped the weapons.

"What the hell?"

He cursed, trying to apply pressure to his mutilated arm. But the blood flow continued. Looking around for the person who dared to attack him, his eyes met a pair of blank golden orbs.

"It's you again...Youko." He scowled.

"Long time no see, Kitoru." The kitsune acknowledged him coldly. "It's been awhile since I've found something _this_ hideous in my territory."

"Shut up! I won't be spoken to like that, especially not by some second-rate _dog, _some worthless fool who's proud of stealing. And it's a fool who's not nearly as great as he says he is. It's only natural I should put you out of your delusions, correct? "

Just his luck, the bastard came to him; no _way_ would he pass up this opportunity. This was the day he'd finally be able to piss on his corpse.

"Forgive my ignorance," Kurama started. "I suppose beating up on a kit qualifies you as an _excellent_ bounty hunter. I suppose you've caught _so many _that you have to go after the small ones." He smirked. "Good job." His ears picked up some muffled whimpers. He could sense the kit; what little youki she had seemed much fainter than when they had first met.

' She must be pretty bad.'

He made a move to walk over to her, but was stopped by the infuriated Kitoru.

"Not so fast! After I'm finished with you, that little bitch is next!"

With that said he made haste to slaughter his opponent. However, Youko made no attempt to jump out of the way. Less than a minute later Kitoru found himself on the ground with a broken nose.

"You miserable son of a bitch..." Kitoru growled, holding his nose. Turning to face his adversary, he was greeted by two swift kicks; one to his lower abdomen, the other to his face. Several teeth sprinkled the ground. Kitoru put his hand to his mouth and felt blood, seeping through his fingers as well as from his lungs.

Kurama laughed, a far more derisive tone now

"Well, this is a disappointment, as always. You're even more worthless than I thought. Though, you must have had something that's been keeping your sorry skin alive, after all the times we've met. I neither know, nor care what that was. You've been a waste of my time."

Kitoru had had enough of this. Drawing two silver-bladed daggers from his waist, he prepared to strike once again. Youko appeared to be enjoying himself as he avoided Kitoru's frantic lashes with little effort. He had to end this now though. He grabbed Kitoru's remaining wrist.

"As much as I've enjoyed this, I have other plans."

With this, he thrust his arm through Kitoru's stomach, making sure it was as painful as possible for the hunter. Tearing through the man's tissues, Kurama took great care in planting his seed. The filth of Kitoru's blood and intestines spattered the youko's clothing, but it was ignored for now.

"Bastard... It won't last, you know... "Kitoru gasped. "I look forward...to the day...when I see you in hell."

And with that, his body exploded in a thick gush of tissue, marrow, blood and organ, scattered everywhere within a 30-foot radius. There was nothing left of his head except for tiny bits of skull and the occasional brain particle. In place of the hunter was one of the thief's infamous flesh-eating plants, which seemed to be enjoying it's meal.

"Damn."

Youko saw that he was covered in the blood of his nemesis. Even his hair was drenched in remains.

"The kit had better be alive for this..." he threatened, extracting a small chunk of brain from his hair. He hurriedly walked down the mountain, in search of Natsumi, following the rapidly drying blood trail. He found her lying in the snow, barely breathing, and covered in blood from head to toe. As he reached her, he gently sat her up and surveyed the damage.

' Hmm...the little spitfire's seems to have taken almost every kind of wound.'

Natsumi's eyes opened, taking in the sight around her, finally resting on Youko. She tried to muster up the energy to fight him off, but found herself too incapacitated to do so.

"W- What... do y-y- you w- want...?"

Whimpering, she turned away, tears beginning to fall down her stained face. All of a sudden, she felt herself pressed against a warm chest, with someone's hand gently supporting her head.

"Don't speak, little one. You've lost too much blood; you need help."

She felt him lifting her up, ever so delicately. Tremendous pain seared in her legs; she cried harder.

"Your leg... it's badly broken."

He held her as close as possible without hurting her anymore, lying his head on hers and shielding her face from the cold.

"It's okay... he's dead. I won't hurt you."

Kurama stroked her head gently. She buried her head in his chest and began to wail.

" I know, I know...just hold on."

'Damn it!'

He neglected to take notice of the dagger in her side.

"This is going to hurt for a split second, but I'll do it as quickly as possible."

Before Natsumi could protest, he pulled on the dagger; it took several tries as it was stubbornly embedded in her hip and the blood made it hard to grip the weapon. Finally, with a sickening squelching sound it emerged. Youko tosses this aside.

"Nnnnhhh!"

"Hold on." He tore the cloth from his outfit and wrapped it around the wound. There were bloody prints from his hands.

"That should hold for the moment. But it won't last for long."

The kit stared; she wasn't sure what to think of all this, so she remained silent. Youko He found that she felt absolutely frigid, almost death-like. He gently lay her on the ground once more and hastily walked back up the mountain. He returned with the late Kitoru's cloak, bundling Natsumi up tightly. Gingerly he lifted her up, and dashed down the mountain,. Natsumi still curled up against his chest. Taking on last look at her captor, she fell unconscious.

Well, that's it for Chapter 3! I know it's a bit shorter, but I was trying to make this chapter seem as appealing to you guys as the first two. And that fight scene was hard to type, but I hope I didn't scare anyone away. I don't believe in 'sugarcoating' my writing; I hate that concept.


	4. Apprehension

And here's Chapter 4! This one took a bit longer; it was a bit harder to express what I wanted. Not to mention coming up with what happens next, and making it long enough to satisfy all of you readers out there! At this point I'm not sure how many chapters this is going to be, probably not more than 10-12, but you never know.

"Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts

_Random_ emphasis/ flashbacks

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

"Hold on." He tore the cloth from his outfit and wrapped it around the wound. "That should hold for the moment. But it won't last for long."

The kit stared; she had no idea what to think of all this, so she remained silent. That was when Youko noticed that she was freezing. She felt absolutely frigid, almost death-like. Walking back up the mountain, and returning with the late Kitoru's cloak, he bundled Natsumi up tightly. Then he lifted her as gently as possible, and dashed down the mountain, Natsumi still curled up against his chest. Taking on last look at her captor, Natsumi fell unconscious.

And now... Voila chapitre 4: Apprehension

"What the hell is with that kitsune lately?" Kuronue cursed. "Running off like that without an explanation...probably because he needed an emergency fuck!"

"Boy, Youko was right. You've been sounding rather… 'mately' lately."

A young male approached the seething demon. He was a few inches shorter than the chimera, probably about five feet, nine inches. He had a full head of messy violet hair, and bangs that partially obscured his eyes, which were also violet. Like most of the other bandits, he donned the standard white fighter's outfit, supported by a dark blue sash around his waist.

"Fuck you, Kitanaru." Kuronue snapped. "I'm not worried anyway, I'm _pissed _'cause he's been blowing me off!"

"Maybe you want him blowing _you_."

One brutal crunch later, Kitanaru found himself on the ground with a nasty little bump on the  
back of his head, which was bleeding profusely."

"How dare you!" Kuronue made sure to kick his fallen 'comrade' as well. "You take that back! Take it back!"

"Fine, fine..." Kitanaru smirked, brushing himself off as he stood up again.

"You have no sense of humor. Rest assured, it'll probably return when your lover returns."

"...Bastard."

"Aw, you didn't have to compliment me, but thanks."

" I should kill you, but I MIGHT regret it later… so just get out of my sight." Kuronue then turned his back on Kitanaru.

"The nerve... hmph."

Kitanaru sweatdropped. He was such a snob sometimes. It was then that he caught sight of their leader returning, and moved to greet him. He froze as he studied the sight before him. Why the hell was Youko covered practically head- to- toe in blood? Their raids weren't that messy. Kuronue beat him there.

"What in the seven hells happened to you?" A random organ dropped onto his shoulder.

"Bleechhh...that's disgusting." Kuronue brushed it away, although the blood and fluid left a large stain.

Kitanaru snickered. "For a thief, you sure are a pussy..."

For once he was ignored. Oblivious to the cold shoulder, he was the next to notice the strange appearance of their leader.

"Whoa, Youko. What the hell? Just how many women did you take in one night? Must've been virgins, too..."

"..."

"..."

The kitsune and the chimera shot him a nasty look.

"God you're an idiot." They informed Kitanaru in unison.

"You don't have to deny your urges," Kitanaru walked over to Youko and put a hand on his shoulder. "Even the best of us lose control sometimes." This action proved to be a mistake, the fox's voice grew softer and more dangerous, as he shot his teammate a less- than-friendly look.

"I would remove your hand, if you want to be able to have women of your own ever again..." He stated calmly, with perhaps a trace of a growl. " Or maybe you want to end up like Kitoru…?"

Kitanaru removed his hand obediently, backing off a couple of steps.

"Huh? That hunter? What are you talking about?" Kuronue shoved pass him, as roughly as possible. Honestly, the boy was a decent thief, but… the 'brains' department…

"So, finally got that son of a bitch? He was starting to really piss me off."

That's when Kuronue noticed the unconscious body in his arms. He moved over for a closer look.

"Hn...first time you've ever brought one of your lovers back with you...what the fuck?" He jumped back.

"I-It's that brat from before! Get her away, get her away!" He made the sign of a cross with his fingers.

"Grow up, will you? I found her after Kitoru beat the hell out of her." He exposed the kit to show the evidence.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to fix up this little one, and clean this…mess off." With these words Kurama headed for one of the large tents set up in the clearing.

"Since when did you care about a whelp like that?" Kuronue asked of the leader, but either he didn't hear him or simply ignored him.

"I believe he's grown soft. Could it be the influence of romance?" Kitanaru piped up, staring unblinkingly at Kuronue, a glitter in his eyes. SLAM! Kitanaru flew into a tree. When he composed himself there was no one around.

"Where's the love...?"

OOOOO

It still hurt like hell, but at least she was awake. That darkness was unnerving her more every minute. But, wait a minute, just_where_ did she wake up? The last thing she remembered was Youko Kurama carrying her off to some God-forsaken place. Maybe to beat her more. But...

_"Just hold on."_

It didn't make sense that he'd want to save her after he'd comforted her, for whatever reason. Well either way, she could barely move. Well she had to at least try.

"...!" SNAP! "OW!"

Big mistake. Her leg felt as if it had been snapped in two. There was no going anywhere with this little handicap. Sitting back on the bed, she took a long look at her surroundings. Bed...? Where the heck was she? It was pitch- black, save for a ray of sunlight spilling through the roof. Her bed was a soft sea of sapphire, with the pillows fluffed just right. Natsumi felt the walls of the place, trying to figure out her environment. It didn't seem like any cave to her. Dark green material swayed gently with the breeze. This was all, so strange.

' What should I do...'

There had to be an escape route. The kit's thoughts were interrupted by an unfamiliar silhouette. One belonged to a woman, with long black hair outlined with gray, oddly enough. Her eyes were pools of dark gray with faint traces of black deep within. Natsumi could not interpret any more details from the dim lighting. Or maybe she chose not to care about anything else except whether this unfamiliar demon was a threat or not. She could not afford to be forced into battle again, but what choice did she have? She moved back on the bed as the figure approached, desperately searching for any sort of weapon. Unfortunately for her, there were not none to be found

"Easy there." A low, feminine voice eased.

"We had to take your little weapon away so you wouldn't gouge our eyes out the second you woke up. Now, relax, damn it! You're making yourself bleed heavily again, and it took forever just to minimize the bleeding."

"Go away."

Natsumi didn't trust these people at all, especially since she was weaponless.

"Unnh..." Damn, the wench was right; the blood was seeping through. Wait a minute, who bandaged her in the first place? The demon woman approached.

"Oh for God sake child, let me take care of it." She held Natsumi firmly but gently.

"Youko told me to keep an eye out for you. The name's Masami by the way." Masami began to undo the kit's bandages, relieved not to be struggling against any more resistance. It would make things considerably easier.

"He got you good, kid. Though it's nothing I can't handle." She turned to a small basin of water that rested upon the wooden floor and soaked a piece of cloth in it, gently dabbing at the kit's wounds.

"Why am I here," Natsumi asked. "How come you didn't kill me, and why'd he save me?"

Masami looked up from her work. "Dear God, do you think we're barbarians? We don't murder little kits. My guess is that in the miniscule part of his black-heart soul he felt sorry for ya. And don't give me that look. I know damn well you're glad to be here, alive and fairly well."

Natsumi scowled. " I'm not weak. I can take care of myself." How dare they? She had survived in this damn wilderness for as long as she could remember.

"Never said you were kid," Masami replied, resuming reparations on the kitsune. "Don't be so bloody stubborn, you were obviously not strong enough to beat that hunter. Beating yourself up about it ain't gonna change things. What kind of student would you be if you didn't learn to accept defeat now and then?" Next Masami worked on Natsumi's head, which also had been  
bandaged without her knowledge apparently.

"What are you talking about?" Now the kit was bewildered. Student? What the hell? Her thoughts were cut short by another figure entering the tent. This one Natsumi recognized almost right away. That thief she caught snooping around _her_ territory. And also the one who had saved her life...

" She means that I'm training you." The fox-man stated, as if it were quite obvious. "And a real fighter, a talented fighter never loses. Like myself, for instance."

Masami rolled her eyes.

"It's good to see you awake. You can go now, Masami, I wish to speak to the child alone."

He waited for the woman to leave before refocusing his attention on Natsumi again. "You seem to be recovering a little faster than I thought, although you're still in no condition for strenuous activity. Including fighting." A small grin presented itself on his pale face.

"Why? What do you want with me? And don't treat me like I'm weak!"

"It's as I said, my little spitfire. I quite like your spirit and am willing to help you push your potential, if you comply. Just imagine how strong you could be... You might even be useful to _ME._"

"Why are you doing this for me? Why did you save me?"

Boy, this child was suspicious, but it would prove to be a good trait in years to come. He gently pushed the child back down on the bed.

"It does not matter. Rest and regain your strength. I had to endure the rotting intestines of a demon to get you out of there. Not pleasant at all, I might add."

"..."

The kitsune made his way to the tent's exit.

"If you're in need of anything, I have subordinates on standby. Good night." He left her alone with her thoughts.

Natsumi just stared. This was so strange, but she knew the kitsune was not deceiving her. There was just something about him she could sense...how bizarre. Sleep soon overtook her thoughts however, and she worried no more.

Oh, my god, finally done with Chapter 4! cheers Of course, I could have written more, but I didn't want to keep you waiting too much longer! I've been sooo busy, the homework's been harder than Youko in a brothel! Hehe…I couldn't resist!

Youko: Bitch...

Me: Can't deny the truth! Man-whore...

Anyway, see you guys in Chapter 5!


	5. Trusting and Learning

Hey, Natsumi-chan back again! Yes, I actually live. Just been too tired and lazy to do much of anything. Honestly, still have a bit of writer's block at the moment, because I had the basic story line planned out before typing this but not in detail, so I ended up having to add a lot more as I wrote. Here ya go! .

Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis/ Flashbacks

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

"Why are you doing this for me? Why did you save me?"

"It does not matter. Rest and regain your strength. I had to endure being doused in the intestines of demon trash for you..."

Chapter 5! Trusting and Learning

Natsumi tossed and turned with a seemingly insatiable restlessness on the bed. This new scenery was too hard to get used to, and that was an extremely bad thing. She hardly knew these people. They could still turn on her and butcher her in an instant if they felt like it. But somehow, that didn't seem very convincing anymore. She didn't have enough strength to get away anyhow. There might be some useful things to pick up here, as that kitsune said. Given these points, it would be best to just stay put for the time being. It was impossible to stay awake any longer to ponder this, and so she surrendered to sleep's seduction.

OOOOO

"Well?" Kuronue demanded expectantly.

"Well what?" Kurama questioned.

"Don't play dumb. You know what I'm asking. Why did you bring that brat back? It's so unlike you. Too unlike you, actually."

"What's it matter to you? "

"It doesn't really, it's just rather curious."

The kitsune took the moment of silence to steal a sip of wine.

"I just felt like it. Okay with you?"

" I don't have a problem with it, I couldn't care less."

" Then drop it and go get drunk or something."

"No thanks, I have my reputation to think of. But why don't you go down a few gallons?"

" I refuse to degrade myself by getting intoxicated and acting like an ass."

" Don't worry, you're an ass anyway. So it's okay for _me_ to humiliate myself?"

" It provides us at least some small amount of entertainment. So why don't you make with it already? I'm bored, amuse me."

An evil grin presented itself across Youko's face. You could see a vein throbbing in  
poor Kuronue's forehead. It was at this moment that Kitanaru made a sudden appearance.

"Yeah, Kuro-kun. Amuse us!" His eyes sparkled with a fake pleading.

"I'm getting away from you idiots now. See you." And with these words, Kuronue stomped off, taking care to tread on Kitanaru's foot as he passed.

"Ow! He's always so moody. "

"Heh. Though he's a bit more relaxed since first we met."

" You mean he was more uptight than this? No way!"

" He was, believe me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've had a bit of a tiring day. I think I'll turn in now."

And the kitsune went off to catch some shut-eye.

OOOOO

Sunlight filtered through the roof of the tent, as night turned to day, and the moon became the sun. As the sunlight reached Natsumi's bed, the kit began to open her eyes. She didn't get up right away, choosing instead to bask in the warmth of the sun...

"_PURR…"_

For a bunch of loonies, they sure knew how to accommodate people. It was pretty tempting to stay right here for a while more were it not for a single problem.

"_GROOOWLL…"_

"I'm hungry again."

She had no choice but to get up and find some food. Leaning over the bed, she placed both feet on the ground and pushed up.

" Oww!" Her leg still hurt, even if not as much. Screw that though;she wasn't going to let herself starve. Leaning more on her uninjured leg, she hobbled onto the campgrounds.

The sound of rushing waves caught her attention.

' River?'

Come to think of it, she was a bit parched as well. After several minutes of struggling through the forest, a deep blue river became visible. It seemed to flow through the forest forever. Natsumi wasted no time in gulping down as much water as she possibly could. For several minutes, nothing could be heard within the vicinity save for the rapid slurping of a thirsty fox. Finally, Natsumi was satisfied. Standing back up, she heard voices back toward the main campsite and carefully followed them back to their origin.

"Ah, nothing better than starting the day off with a good heist."

" How can you be such a morning person when you spend all your nights corrupting some poor innocent bastard?"

" Believe me, if they're sleeping with me they're not innocent. Besides, a little more fun (not to mention gems) won't hurt me.

" You're such a brat. Speaking of which, have you taken care of that spore yet?"

Natsumi scowled. Bastard.

"Well, that's easy." He directed his eyesight towards the 'spore's' hiding  
place.

"You can come out." Figures he'd find her. Natsumi grudgingly moved toward the thieves.

"Good morning. "Youko took a good look at her. "Your wounds are starting to heal. That's good. But it was my own herbs that helped you, so that's no surprise."

"..."

"You can talk, you know." Kuronue addressed her crabbily. It seemed he wasn't a morning person. Who cared, anyway? "Its not like we're going to cut out your tongue. I thought it had been established that no harm would come to  
you."

Natsumi merely glared at him.

"No, stop, you're scaring me. Please..."

She ignored his sarcasm and walked over to Youko, who to her surprise picked her up and set her on his lap. Her apprehension seemed to diminish however, as he reached out to stroke an ear.

"It will still take a while for your injuries to completely heal. If you don't want to die, I'd suggest you stay here."

Natsumi merely nodded.

"Feh!" Kuronue scowled. "You could try and show a little more gratitude. It's not like he _had_ to save you, you know."

Youko sweatdropped. "Don't mind him, he's always grouchy like this. It'll wear off."

"Whatever. Goody, I get to spend time quality time with the wise- ass fox and the snot-nosed brat."

"OW! God damnit!"

Natsumi had discovered a large rock upon the ground and used it as an opportunity to get revenge for the insults. A large bump almost instantly appeared.

Youko tried unsuccessfully to suppress a snicker.

"Shut up!"

"These words, of course, had little affect, and the fox burst out laughing. Even Natsumi began to smile.

"But it fits you so well. It er, accentuates your handsome features...?" He laughed even harder. Natsumi began to snicker. She stuck her tongue out at the chimera.

Kurama smiled at Natsumi. She smiled back. Even if it was only a little, and for a split second. Meanwhile, Kuronue was muttering the kind of vocabulary you normally wouldn't allow a child to hear.

A sudden, low grumble caught the group's attention.

"I think it's time to eat, don't you?" His gaze rested upon Natsumi.

As the disgruntled chimera and the mute kit nodded, several demons brought out what appeared to be many, many pounds of food. And then from out of nowhere, the rest of the camp grouped around the masses of sustenance. In a matter of seconds, the kit had a plate full of fruit and bread. Without so much as a second thought, the food went down her throat as the flabbergasted demons watched. Several large sweatdrops appeared.

"Well, apparently you trust us enough to eat our food."

"Feh, greedy little squirt." Kuronue and Natsumi reached for the same apples simultaneously.

" Drop it runt."

The only response was a rather nasty scowl. Not holding back any longer, Natsumi snatched the apple away as hard as possible, making sure to take a bite before Kuronue could reclaim it.

"You little bi—

"Relax. There's plenty more where that came from. Seems to me you're not  
quite the same fellow I took in all those years ago. I believe you're losing it."

A bandit overhearing this muttered to himself, "And you just noticed?" Everyone within the vicinity of the joker cracked up.

"Tch! I've had enough of this! I'm going somewhere where I can be left in peace for once!" A huffy Kuronue stormed off.

"He's really a nice boy. " Though a grin was already forming on Youko's lips as he said this. And it must've been contagious, because that same grin was now clearly visible upon the younger fox's normally serious face. This was soon quickly covered up, as she took a bite of  
the apple.

"Heh. But it's no use harassing all my men unless you have the strength to back it up." He leaned against a tree, closing his amber eyes.

" You'd probably would make a good addition."

"Fine." Natsumi replied quietly.

"Hmm?"

"I'll do it. I won't be weak. I'm not weak."

Youko patted the kit's head, causing her to move back a little. However, she didn't repel him.

" Ah, warming up I see."

She smiled, which was actually pretty darn cute.

"…Maybe."

"We'll begin when you're more properly healed."

He glanced at Natsumi's numerous cuts and bruises.

"But..."

"My word stands." And he ruffled the irritated fox's hair.

"Ah, finally!"

Natsumi looked all over her body for any bruises that might keep her from standing. There was nothing, with the exception of several scars that wouldn't really have any affect on her training. To hell with those...it had already been nearly two weeks. She wouldn't wait any longer.

"After today, I won't be weak anymore!" She grinned.

It was getting a lot easier to like that fox. Unfortunately, it had taken a bit longer to heal than expected, but it was over now. "Ok, let's go. "She said to herself and made haste to begin her search for Kurama. After about an hour with no luck, her cheerful demeanor began to  
dissipate.

" Where?"

However, this new concern was put aside as once again the aroma of food caught the attention of her nose. Training could wait until after breakfast. With many thoughts of nourishment she barged through the crowd of unsuspecting bandits. As to be expected, there were many curses and threats thrown at the hungry kitsune, but this had become normal, and Natsumi had become oblivious. Who cared, it was every man for himself. Moving quickly to swipe the best fruits, she made sure to be gone as quickly as she came. It was normal to sit away from the others. The youko might be trustworthy, but she had no idea about these fools. More like goofy old men than a danger though. But speaking of him, where in the Makai was he? He _SAID_ he'd be there when she was ready, and she was ready. A figure suddenly alerted her peripheral vision. Was it him? No, that youki was different. One of his lackeys, obviously.

' Hope its not that bat.' Not that she couldn't tolerate Kuronue; he was  
just too damned high strung. Normally, it would have been enjoyable watching him blow his brain cells out but today just wasn't the day. As the stranger came closer, Natsumi turned and got a good look at the man. He was about average size, and pretty harmless looking. His messy purple hair stood out the most to her.

The strange man spoke up.

"Ah, you're that kit, aren't ya? The 'spore' I've been hearing Kuro bitch about."

"..." Natsumi couldn't help but let a small grin cross her face. "Yep, that's me. Who're you?"

"The name's Kitanaru. I'm Youko's left hand man. And I never caught your name. The least I can do is learn the name of the one person who annoys Kuro-kun more than I do. That's quite an accomplishment."

Natsumi's grin widened further. " Natsumi. "

"So glad to see you aren't mute after all. And if you're looking for Kurama-kun he went out on a raid. Again. "

So that's where he went. She should have known; he was a thief after all. Kitanaru noticed the frustrated expression on Natsumi's face and spoke again.

"But it shouldn't be too much longer. The raids never really take all that long, except when Youko's feeling particularly greedy. About half the time, maybe?"

"Who's greedy now?"

Out of nowhere, their ever-so-clever leader entered the scene.

"Ah, you're finally back." Kitanaru backed away as the fox approached him.

"It took you long enough." He laughed uneasily.

" Yes, but that's not important. Tell me, what have you been up to, besides talking about me behind my back." A malicious smirk played upon Youko's face.

"Hehe... Just joking around, Youko-kun. Don't take it personally. Ha...ha?" He smiled nervously.

Whack! In a matter of seconds you could count at least 3 bumps on Kitanaru's head.

" Ugh... I'm sorry master, it'll never happen again." The dizzied demon proclaimed. The 'insubordinate' staggered away.

"..."

"What a fool. " Youko turned to face Natsumi.

"Looks like you've finally healed."

"Yup, and that means you'd better give me my training." Natsumi demanded.

"Can't wait, can you?" His response was a firm nod no.

"Okay, okay. Meet me in the clearing by the river in an hour. I have business to attend to in the meantime. Mind you, I'm not going easy. If you're not up to it, this may just be your last day alive."

"Good." Both kitsune smirked.

"I'll need to get a better idea of your ability," Youko informed his new pupil.

Before Natsumi could respond, he had disappeared. Her eyes carefully scanned the area, the kit turning quickly to spot his hiding place. Nothing. She'd really have to brace herself now. The abundance of trees and plant life in this area would make it difficult to spot him.

"..."

Suddenly, her ears picked up the smallest indication of movement in the thicket to her right. Just as she was about to attack however, a white blur appeared suddenly behind her. She just barely avoided the flash that resembled a fist. Dark red fluid dripped down the side of her face. Moving warily to the river, she observed a small cut on the side of her face. He wasn't bad.

"It would be better for you to focus. Unless you _want_ to perish." Youko's voice carried on the wind, and yet he was nowhere to be found. She heard movement below her and looked down. A vine began to wrap around her left ankle, tightening its hold immediately.

"...!"

As her fingers frantically moved to free herself, she failed to notice the figure above her. Ducking Kurama's kick, Natsumi rolled off to the side, and the tree on which she was leaning sustained heavy damage.

"Grrr..." Sweat poured down her face.

"Are you serious about this or not?"

Youko pounced again. This time, Natsumi was able to block most of his punches, save for the last one, which sent her flying into a nearby tree. Natsumi recovered in time to see Youko standing over her wielding some sort of whip. He struck. She pulled out her dagger and repelled his lashes to the best of her ability. Were those thorns? Damn, she should've seen that one coming. Despite her best efforts, her body was damaged in several places by the whip's relentless assaults.

"Unh..."

"I thought you had more potential than this." Youko's voice was cold and taunting this time. "If you're this weak, maybe I should finish you off, after all."

"Damn you...!"

Once again, the young kit found herself caught within his vines, only now they were thicker and wrapped themselves around both her arms and legs. Struggling only made them tighter, to the point where she began to scream.

' No no no! I'm not weak. I don't wanna be weak. Let me go!' Although paralyzed, Youko noticed something disturbing. Her youki was on the rise, and it wouldn't stop.

' Finally, a response.' Kurama thought to himself. He would take it a step further.

'I can't get out! But I don't wanna die now!'

To add to her despair, it looked like Youko was summoning even more plants. And to her horror, these ones had jaws and teeth! And what was that dripping from their mouths? She watched as a bit of the substance fell onto the ground, leaving a scorching hole. Those things would send shivers up anyone's spine. Natsumi began to panic.

' No! It's not gonna get me, I'm not gonna die. I'm strong!' Her eyes became dilated and glowed violet, much to Youko's shock. Her youki rose even higher.

"What is this?"

By now, the vines were squeezing Natsumi so hard they cut deeply into her  
skin, but she didn't seem aware of it. Her expression seemed far away, and yet she was right there. The clearing began to shake, and a rough breeze swayed the trees. The sky darkened.

" _LET ME GOOOOOOOO_!"

In a blinding flash a huge amount of youki burst forth from Natsumi's body, destroying a good part of the clearing, including some of his plants. Youko called back the ones he had left and stared at the scene before him in complete awe. The timid, weak little kit he had taken in was no longer there, in her place was an angry kitsune projecting the image of a being with incalculable strength far exceeding that of most of the demons in Makai. At least most that he knew of He'd never seen anything like this in all the centuries he existed. He had only heard rumors and legends of this sort of power. It was unbelievable, if he wasn't seeing this with his own eyes.

"This girl...is a psychic?"

And at long last, the end of Chapter 5. Whew! Went back and did some edits on some of my older chapters for Saub.Unfortunately, it seems to be a bit more difficult to replace chapters on …damn… Oh well, I'll figure it out! I'm so happy I got reviews! Even a couple on now! Yeah! Oh well, long as you guys are reading! See you in chapter 6!


	6. Aspiration

If anyone's even still reading this, hiya! Long time since Ch. 5...; Damn my laziness...I think a lot of people may have stopped reading because of this...I hope not... cries It might have been updated sooner but for the past month my computer's been in the shop. They found a virus. It was torture not having any access to online stuff, but thank god for my friggin' PS2! I also took this time to draft Chapter 6. And made a lot of revisions. I'm pretty unhappy with the way this story is going, I think I'm writing worse each chapter... . Anyway, I hope you guys will still read on and tell me what you think. And I apologize if this chapter looks weird...I'm trying to remodel the story according to what I heard on I hate double-spacing! The show must go on... please enjoy!

"Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis/Flashbacks

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

" LET ME GOOOOOOOO!" In a blinding flash an incredible amount of youki burst forth from the Natsumi's body, destroying a good part of the clearing, including some of his plants.

Youko called back the ones that had managed to survive and stared at the scene before him in complete awe. The timid, weak little kit he had taken in was no longer there, in her place was an angry young kitsune projecting the image of a being with ominous strength far exceeding that of most of the demons in Makai. He'd never seen anything like this in all the centuries he existed. He had only heard rumors and legends of this sort of power. He would never believe it, if he weren't seeing this with his own eyes.

"This girl...is a psychic?"

Ch. 6: Aspiration

The blast that occurred could very well have blown a much weaker demon sky- high, despite the size of the kit. Fortunately Youko was not one of those weaker demons, and so didn't need to worry about such matters. What was of concern at the moment was the kit. He had no idea where that kind of power was coming from.

'_Far more potential than I could have imagined,' _he thought to himself. '_Although fairly life-threatening if one isn't careful.' _It would be addressed later; for now she needed to return to her normal state before his campsite was blown to bits.

" Kit? Can you hear me? " He shouted to her. No response. Kurama moved closer, partially shielding his sensitive eyes against the bright light.

'_Kit?'_

'_Unnnhhh...?'_

' _Come back. You can stop now...calm down. Or it is likely you'll kill yourself.'_

Natsumi's blank eyes moved to the kitsune, but her youki raged on as blood dripped from the cuts on her petite body.

'_Damn.' _

Kurama summoned a thin barrier of youki to provide himself at least some small amount of protection. Getting through this mass of energy proved to be fairly difficult but the youko wouldn't stop pushing. He was certainly no peon after all. Only an amateur demon could be held back by this amount of youki. His efforts paid off when he was close enough to touch Natsumi. By this time the ki was cutting into his skin, though it could have been far worse. Grabbing Natsumi's shoulders he focused on communicating with her.

'_Stop. Let yourself go. Lose your focus...' _

He some of his own energy to try and suppress hers. At first it appeared nothing was happening, but then...the aura surrounding Natsumi faded, slowly at first, then more rapidly. Finally, it was all gone, and Natsumi looked like a normal kit again, to his relief.

"Well, you certainly surprised me," he commented. "I guess I'll have to work you even harder now that I have a better idea of what you can do."

Natsumi merely stared at him for a moment before looking down at her hands.

'...!'

" I guess we'll call this match a draw then. Yes, that makes more sense." Youko grinned.

Natsumi nodded in assent.

"Yup... But I'll beat you one day..."

That seemed to be the last her of energy, as she collapsed at the end of that sentence. Luckily Youko caught her before she hit the ground.

OOOOO

"A psychic?" Kuronue exclaimed. "But they're supposed to be just a legend, a myth. You'd never see any here in the Makai."

Youko scowled. "Are you calling me a liar?"

"No, of course not. I just find it hard to believe."

"Well believe it. I know what I saw." He rested his head on the palm of his hand.

"That youki wasn't the kind you'd sense in just any demon."

" How do you know that it's a telepathic skill or something exactly?"

"Do I look stupid? I've done my studying."

" You're rather touchy tonight. Why are you taking everything so personally?"

"I'm not. I hope you don't expect me to be overly cheerful every second of the day."

"As if." ' _Like you're all that cheerful anyway, Mr. Grouchy.'_

"Good." Kuronue rolled his eyes.

"Hiya."

"Aaaack! Where the hell did you come from!" " Kitanaru had made his appearance once again.

"I was just passing by..."

cough "Liar" cough

"And couldn't help but overhear your interesting conversation."

"Don't you have better things to do than eavesdrop and annoy people?"

"That's cruel. Why are you always so mean?"

"Whatever. What do you want?"

"Just to hang out." Kitanaru took it upon himself to sit down with the other two thieves, much to Kuronue's annoyance.

"So let me in on this convo."

"Convo! You're talking like you're one of those ningen teenage onnas."

"To a souless being such as yourself, yes." Kitanaru noticed that their leader was being rather quiet, not that he normally ever was a talkative person.

"Are ya dead over there?" Blank eyes focused on Kitanaru.

"Oh, you're simply too fun to be around." Kitanaru commented sarcastically.

"Well no one invited you."

"I've already explained myself." To the surprise of the others, their leader spoke up.

"I don't feel like explaining it again. To put is shortly-" Kuronue jumped in.

"The brat's a psychic so Youko's gonna make her into another of his minions. Now go away."

Kurama sweatdropped. " Not exactly what I had in mind..."

" Yes it is. You said you didn't feel like explaining much, so I summed it up for you so this idiot will leave us be." Kuronue shot a meaningful look toward Kitanaru.

"But how do you know she's a psychic?"

The other thieves facefaulted. There was no getting through to this boy.

"Because... I've familiarized myself with various legends. And let's just leave it at that." Youko responded.

"Fine." Kitanaru pouted . "See if I care."

"Happy now?" Kuronue asked of Kitanaru. "You can stop harassing us now."

"What the hell is it you have against me?" It was one of those rare times Kitanaru frowned.

" YOU'RE ANNOYING!" Kuronue exploded. "Haven't you gotten the message yet!" Was he this stupid?

Kitanaru shrugged.

"Whatever then. Hey, where's the squirt?"

"Who knows where that brat is. I don't care."

"Now you're holding grudges against children? You really are a low-life" Kitanara laughed.

"Son of a..."

Their quarrel (the usual choice of entertainment for the entire group of bandits) was interrupted by Natsumi's entrance. Obviously it was a quick recovery. It was amusing; even if they never saw her all day, they could always count on an appearance when it came to food. Luckily, she was used to all the looks she got, but that didn't mean that they had to do it every time she came around. Her ears twitched at the sound of shouting nearby. It was the same two demons yet again. How could anyone who's supposed to be so much older and wiser than her be so...

"Immature."

"Childish, but a good show."

"Idiots."

It was pretty funny to listen to the insults circulating around the camp in addition to the minor brawl. (only of the tongues, instead of the fists for the moment). The distraction allowed her to snag some food in peace. Making sure she got plenty of meat, she looked for a place to sit and watch the show. She decided to go sit near Youko.

" I was wondering where you had wandered off to," The kitsune commented.

" Been around," She replied, taking a seat on a nearby rock and munching on her food.

It was at this point that the fight began to come to a conclusion.

"Are you two through with acting like lunatics now?"

"I wasn't," Kitanaru protested. Kuro-kun started it . He's always so mean to me." Kitanaru tried to act like he was genuinely hurt."

"Bite me. You're a terrible liar."

Kitanaru stuck his tongue out at him, and moved to walk away when he noticed Natsumi.

"Oh, hey squirt." He grinned. "It's about time you made an appearance."

"Yup." She replied. "I was hungry."

" Well, then here ya go." Out of nowhere he pulled out what appeared to be some sort of mini-cake. "It's not healthy not to eat sweet stuff."

"Hey!" Kuronue protested. "That was mine. Kitanaru, you bastard!"

"Oh, _here."_ Kitanaru tossed another cake over to Kuronue. Lemon-filled. Your favorite, right?" He left his nemesis stunned. What do you know; the boy actually DID have a decent side of him. He turned his attentions to the kit, making sure she wouldn't swipe it or something of the sort. She merely gave him a blank look. He glared back.

"Has the highlight of your day become having a staring contest with a child?" Youko commented with much amusement.

"Shut up."

The glaring contest continued, until Kuronue finally decided not to waste any more time on something so idiotic. He decided to simply ignore her again.

"That is so sad."

Kitanaru smirked. It was clear he wasn't going to leave anytime soon. The partying of the bandits was VERY audible. There were going to be a lot of hangovers this time tomorrow.

Kuronue picked up a goblet full of alcohol and took a swig. " Like you're much better." He set the goblet down, resting his head on his arms.

"Enough. I have a headache. I don't know why you two dislike each other so much." Youko rubbed his aching head. Too much noise...

The other two sweatdropped. "Sorry..." If his bandits got any more dysfunctional he would kill them all. He sweatdropped as he could have sworn that Natsumi was nodding in assent. Of course she'd be able to read his thoughts.

"Are you certain you're ready?" Kurama questioned. "I won't be held responsible for your death if you're not."

Natsumi merely scowled and nodded.

"Then I'll get on with it. This time, we're not going to spar."

He silenced her before she could protest. " Of course, I'll aid you in that area later. There's a far more pressing issue I want to focus on. This time, I want to concentrate on that telepathic ability of yours."

" What do I gotta do?"

"You're going to tap into your...unique ability."

"...?"

"Just sit down, close your eyes, and focus. And I mean really focus. I can tell if you're not trying."

He just wanted her to sit! What kind of training was that! Nevertheless she obeyed. If this kitsune knew what he was doing, it would probably be worth it in the end. Focus on what? There was nothing but blackness, emptiness... Youko's voice entered her thoughts.

' _Focus on nothing else but awakening your other sense.'_

Natsumi squeezed her eyes shut even tighter and tried to focus her energy on making something happen. Nothing was happening so far

'_Focus your energy. If you do it right, something should happen. Though specifically what, I can't say.'_

As if she wasn't trying already.

' _We're not leaving until I see proof that you've made any progress.'_

Still...minutes went by and nothing happened. Minutes that seemed like endless hours to the impatient fox-child. She was about to quit . Who needed this? It was taking too long and it was a waste of time really. Then...

' mutter shouts '

' _What?_' Natsumi could swear she heard something just now, but she couldn't believe it. It sounded as if a chorus of voices lived inside her head, but she couldn't understand them at all. Ugh, it was giving her a headache.

Youko was quick to notice the sudden change in Natsumi. The sudden rise in youki, the glazed over eyes. Except the energy wasn't nearly as dangerous as the last time. How fortunate. This emergence of her telepathic power was obviously temporary; he could feel her youki decreasing every moment. He'd have to teach her to control it far better in the near future.

"..." Natsumi returned to normal. It was probably one of the strangest experiences she'd ever had.

"How are you feeling?"

"O.K." She gave Youko a confused glance. " Not gonna ask about what I did?"

"I know," He stated. There was no explanation for why he could read what was on her mind, it didn't matter for now. There were more important issues to deal with.

"?"

He walked over had put a hand on her head.

"Don't worry about it. You did half-way decently for today, but we're going to work on it a little bit longer."

Natsumi grinned widely, sharp little fangs exposed. Intense training; gotta love it.

After a few hours more, the sun began to set, and Youko decided to call it quits. It became a little easier for her to tap her psychic power, but the voices remained unclear all the same. He had also managed to keep her from exploding so much once she was able to reach that state. Oh well, couldn't expect to get_ everything _done in a day's time...

OOOOO

The sun had long since gone down. The sky had darkened considerably, so that the distant stars were clearly seen shimmering over the landscape of the Demon World. The only genuine source of light in the heart of the body of darkness. It was 'Boys Night In' back at the campsite which was pretty much every night of course. And the name doesn't count the numerous whores the bandits took in and kicked out. Beyond the campsite however, was a silent cliff overlooking a lower level of the forest. If you really looked, you could catch a glimpse of the river in the distance. It was on this steep cliff that a lone figure stood, back against a nearby tree. The moonlight revealed his long silver tresses, and revealed his cold golden eyes. His hair swayed in the lightest breeze that touched upon the cliff. If you didn't know who he was, it would be almost a romantic image. Although some fools would most definitely see him that way anyway.

'_Feh. Those fools wouldn't be able to appreciate a night like this...' _He smiled, something no average demon ever lived to see. It was too bad, because it made him look even more handsome.

' _Mm...might be a good night to rob somebody. But nobody has anything enticing left to steal for the moment...damn.' _

He didn't care much about that though. Tonight, he couldn't care less about anything. Even the sound of footsteps approaching him did nothing to make him react, kthough he knew who it was.

"Yes?" He asked, turning around lazily to face Natsumi.

"I want to train more. I'm bored. Those morons don't know anything so I came here..."

_Again!_ This kit was truly insatiable when it came to battle. But that was one of her best qualities, and she was quite cute.

"You seem a bit more confident than usual, if that's at all possible." Youko surveyed her curiously, but feeling very amused.

Natsumi merely gave another cute grin and seemed to be focusing on something. Her eyes were closed. After a few moments, nothing happened, and so Youko tried to dismiss her.

"You're worn out. You should rest before we continue this. Now come along. It's late and we're up early tomorrow."

He continued to walk on, ignoring the fact that Natsumi was not following.

He also failed to notice the wide smirk on Natsumi's face as something slowly began to form in her hand.

It was then that Kurama finally noticed that something was up. Just as he turned his head to address Natsumi, something flew by his cheek, slightly cutting his skin in the process. Looking towards a tree, he saw dagger with a violet hilt stuck within the trunk. Picking it up, he turned back to Natsumi, who slightly luminescent eyes shone of triumph.

Finally, Ch 6 is done after all these weeks! I forced myself to get off my ass and work on it and I made it! Thank god for the chocolate milk and raw cookie dough that I consumed which provided the energy. Thank you for your patience, if anyone's still following this after it's been delayed so long. I don't know if I will be doing a sequel at this point, it depends on you guys and if I feel up to it. I will TRY to update on a more frequent basis, even though school has started...I'm hoping to have Ch. 7 up by the end of September.. Please, please continue to read and review, I think my writing's getting worse and I really need to hear what _you _think of it.

Waves Bye-bye...

PS: Is anyone interested at all in a lemon later on? ( Though I'll probably write it even if no one is) I'll most likely repost this on so I have more freedom.


	7. Ascension

Hi guys! Long time no see! I know, I know, I've really got to work on this procrastination thing. Think it's really starting to get out of hand...; The last 3 or 4 weeks weren't my fault entirely though, my computer was in the shop. I'm sorry for not keeping my promise and having this up by the end of September. Forgive me! To try and appease you, I've tried to make this chapter a bit longer than the others. I hope you like it! As always, R+R!

Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis/Flashbacks

OOOOO : Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

"You're worn out. You should rest before we continue this. Now come along. It's late and we're up early tomorrow."

He continued to walk on, ignoring the fact that Natsumi was not following. He also failed to notice the wide smirk on Natsumi's face as something began to form in her hand. It was then that Kurama finally noticed that something was up. Just as he turned his head to address Natsumi, something flew by his cheek, slightly cutting his skin in the process. Looking toward a tree, he saw a dagger with a violet hilt embedded in the trunk. Picking it up, he turned back to Natsumi, whose slightly luminescent eyes shone of triumph.

Chapter 7: Ascension

Youko walked over and pulled the dagger from the tree, taking care to inspect it for a moment.

"You never cease to amaze me."

Natsumi smirked. "I trained during dinner."

"It shows." He walked over to the kit and held out the dagger.

"We'll resume tomorrow."

OOOOO

Natsumi scrunched down as deep into her bed as she could, burying herself under the covers. After all, it was a particularly chilly night. The day was exhausting, but fruitful. After today, the kit thought that maybe she wasn't so worthless after all. Hell, she was starting to like it here. When she got strong enough, she'd show those bastards, maybe even extract a little revenge. Sleep soon overtook Natsumi's thoughts however, and she had no objection to giving in completely.

_The wind seem to howl all around her, at least she thought it was the wind. Not a single living thing in could be seen, but there were voices, far away, and yet they seemed near. What was happening? Running farther into the darkness, the voices became louder, but no clearer. Now they were shrieks, spine tingling, ear shattering shrieks that went on and on. And soon she saw. There were bodies flying everywhere, to her horror. Decapitation, castration, and all other forms of brutality were everywhere. There wasn't a single area devoid of blood... even she was covered in it. And yet, despite the rising number of casualties, it never ended. The shadows closed in around her, blinding her, but she could still hear the shrieks...as all faded to nothingness, there was a quick glimpse of two bodies, but all she could make out were dim silhouettes. Then, everything broke apart completely and there was nothing but laughter...laughter that sent cold shivers up her spine...it hurt to breathe...what was happening?_

The whole camp could have heard Natsumi's shriek, if anyone were awake at that hour. She shot up in the bed, beads of sweat having already formed on her forehead. It took several minutes to get her breathing back to normal, and even then there was no sign of reassurance. She was completely shaken, as painful as it was to admit. So shaken she took no notice of a tall figure entering the tent.

"Bad dream?" Youko could have heard a scream like that from miles away. He took a place next to her on the bed.

With a wary look in her eyes Natsumi nodded.

"You're trembling," the kitsune observed, placing a hand on her forehead. " It must have been a particularly unpleasant one."

Natsumi took this opportunity to wrap some more blankets around herself, as if that would provide a bit more security.

"I'm fine." All she wanted to do was go back to sleep; after all, it was just a dream.

Kurama didn't believe her for an instant. Without hesitation he scooped her up and marched out of the tent, much to Natsumi's bewilderment. Ignoring her puzzled protests, he strode across the campsite where an even larger tent loomed over them. Inside, there were many different chests and scrolls and books scattered around, barely visible by the dim candlelight. Natsumi vaguely wondered about these. Toward one end of the tent lay a massive bed, covered in the finest colors of silk. An irresistibly soft bed, she couldn't help noticing as Youko set her down. He glanced at her expectantly.

"You can go to sleep any time, you know."

"...I can sleep in my own bed, I'm not scared."

"...She says, as she burrows into my bed."

Natsumi sweatdropped. " It's cold." As much as she didn't want to face up to it, the kitsune had been right in bringing her in here. It felt a little...safer.

" _Yawn..." _

"Rest. We're up at dawn tomorrow." Kurama settled in next to her. He could sense her awkwardness, so he moved a little closer.

"I won't bite, you know."

"..." Natsumi moved a tiny bit closer, still wary of the whole situation, but far too tired to do anything much now. She gazed over at her roommate. Fast asleep already, fox-ears twitching occasionally. After gazing at him for a few moments, she finally turned back around and let her conscious mind lapse into an alternate world.

OOOOO

Days turned into months, and months quickly became years in the Makai. Many things changed, and yet still some things remained the same as ever. But then again, too much of a change isn't always for the best, and so the lack of change might have very well been a good thing. This changing and not changing took place over the span of four rapidly passing years.

"Ah...what a lovely morning," Youko yawned, as he took his time in stretching his muscles. As always, he was in a perfectly contented mood after a raid. There was just something about the crimson blood from those corpses and the suspenseful chase that took all his troubles away. It was a very therapeutic activity to engage in.

"You know, it's a bit disturbing that you're happiest when doused in guts." Kuronue commented. "It really makes you sound psychotic."

"Spare me," Youko tossed his hair, a gesture Kuronue found vain and increasingly irritating.

"What's not to love about an innocent murder? And besides, the most important thing is my gold. So I'm not obsessed with death as much as my treasure, that should make you happy."

Kuronue thought fondly of his own secret stash of gems and weapons and all sorts of pretty things within his chambers. What would he do without it all?

"Feh. I guess you make sense..."

"Because I'm always right."

Both had decided to take a short stroll to relax a little bit after the raid. After all, they had all the time in the world. Youko slumped against the nearest tree, eventually sliding all the way down to a sitting position. He was always more than a little idle after a theft. And he had no plans of leaving the area anytime soon.

"You're so damn lazy." Even as he said this, however, the bat moved to join his comrade.

"He scolds me, and yet he is as lazy as I."

"You bring out the worst in me."

"You flatter me."

Both of them sat in silence for a while, enjoying the warm, humid air.

Natsumi was a nothing but blur amidst the heights of the vast trees, making it impossible for one to get more than half a moment's glimpse. She grumbled exasperatedly to herself. Why couldn't they ever be around when she needed them? There was nothing else to do, except track them down and bug them to do something. It was so terribly boring around here. Just as she was about to give up however, she felt the faint but familiar youki in the distance. A devilish grin played upon her face as she made haste toward the area where the youki came from.

"Are we going to lie here all day?" Kuronue demanded. "Or are we actually getting off our asses and doing something?" The rest, while relaxing at first, had started to become dull. Unlike Kurama, Kuronue could not stand inactivity for prolonged periods of time. There was no response from his partner, save for a loud, _very _contented purr. At least he thought it was a purr. The kitsune's momentary weakness almost induced vomit in the chimera. Finally Kurama spoke up again.

"What's the rush?"

He sounded as if he had been asleep or was about to go down for a fox-nap. Apparently the sunbeams had paralyzed his defenses, melting him into an idle lump of flesh stretched across the ground.

"Animals." Kuronue rolled his eyes.

"Hmmm...?"

"Nothing." He didn't bother trying to talk to the drowsy fox again. After seeing him commit multiple murders, it was both amusing and unnerving to see him acting so...animal like. Of course, he was the only one who got to see this. Anyone else who did would be dead in a split second. Kuronue allowed himself a smirk as he dozed off a bit as well. He was jolted from a not quite-sleeping state.

' That's odd...why is my hair mussing up so much?' Putting a hand on the top of his head he discovered the problem soon enough.

"What the hell! Where is it? Where is it?" In an instant he was up and moving about the woods, in search of the missing possession."

"How the hell did I get robbed! I was awake!"

"Whassamatter?" Kurama rubbed his eyes.

"My hat's gone missing! Help me find it!"

Youko, having just been disturbed from a comatose state simply shot a dazed, mocking grin at the bat demon.

"It's not funny!" Kuronue spat.

Before Youko could protest that it was indeed amusing, something fell right out of a tree and into his lap. And that something was wearing Kuronue's hat.

"Bored?" Youko inquired.

Natsumi nodded, releasing a piteous moan. "Nothin' to do..."

"So you decided to steal _my_ hat!" Kuronue snapped. This...pest! Why, oh why was it always him?

"Nyah." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Kuronue lunged, not that it did him any good. Natsumi jumped out of the way to safety, leaving Kuronue to seize nothing but invisible air.

"Wretch!" He made several more unsuccessful attempts at subduing the teasing kit while Kurama laughed at his partner.

"Your eagerness to assist me really touches my heart." There was more than a little sarcasm in his voice.

Youko merely shrugged, brushing it off as he always had.

"You can't blame her, there's really not much for her to do at the moment. She's mastered the basics of her training and my guess is she could best most of my men fairly quickly now. I've taught her well." He pulled an apple out of seemingly nowhere and gave it to Natsumi, who was happily obliged to eat.

"It still doesn't give her the right to disrespect me like this." Kuronue scowled.

" I take it you've never had a childhood?"

This was ignored as Kuronue swung a fist at Natsumi who in an impressive display of a defensive reflex blocked it with both her arms and tripped him. She made sure to tread over his backside.

" Poor kit." Youko smirked. "Nothing else to amuse yourself with..."

Natsumi nodded glumly before a though popped into her head. "Can I go steal too?"

Kuronue couldn't control his laughter, or he didn't bother to, most likely the latter.

" _You!_ A twerp like you would just get in our way. You'd either be killed or get the rest of us killed!"

"You would!" She snapped back. "You brag, but I bet you suck!" She turned her back on him with a "hmph." Kuronue's face turned a rather pretty shade of crimson.

"How dare you!" Natsumi paid him no mind, turning back to Youko in expectation for an answer. He stared at her for a moment before an answer came.

"You're not quite ready for that yet, I'm afraid."

It was a good thing she didn't see Kuronue snickering, or there may have been some fatal injuries that day.

"But-

Youko knelt and put a finger to her lips. "I promise that as soon as I feel that you are ready you'll join us."

Kuronue added, "Which means never."

"Grrr..." She kicked him with all the strength possible.

"Owww! God _DAMMIT_!"

"When will that be?" She once more looked at Youko.

"I wouldn't know."

"...Tch..."

"Maybe when you're not such a midget... If kicking demons is the best you can do, then you're a dead little girl..."

Youko was settling in to watch a brawl between the two when he spotted a demon running toward them. The others glanced at him curiously as well. The demon was obviously a lower bandit, with a body resembling a human's save for his narrow yellow eyes and a lengthy forest green lizard-like tail. Atop his head was a thin mass of ebony hair.

"There's a traveling band of demons not too far from here," he started. " They're carrying many jewels and clothing accessories that would fetch a bundle on the black market. They're lower class of course, no higher than C-class.""

Youko and Kuronue shot each other a look as if to ask ' Should we go for it?' Of course, instinct kicked in and both knew the answer without looking at one another. They both followed the lizard-demon back through the forest, Natsumi in tow. It would be nice to actually see a theft for once. Noticing her at last, Youko halted, turning to address the eager kit.

"I don't want you anywhere near us when we attack."

Natsumi stamped her foot, a temper tantrum already on the way. It was completely unfair; she was _never_ allowed to even watch them, not one time.

"You think I want to be responsible when a hunter has your head on a stake? You're far too young." Natsumi merely continued to pout.

"Come on now, don't be like that...maybe just a few more years, if you train sufficiently that is."

Still nothing.

"How about we spar later on? Will that ease your pain?" Natsumi observed the kitsune with dark, scrutinizing eyes.

"Fine. You better mean it."

OOOOO

Natsumi lay in the field in annoyance, tossing a gem to yourself, which she had snatched off one of the more ignorant thieves of the band. Did they _all_ go on the theft? What was she supposed to do then, if there was no one she could harass? No amusement whatsoever. It wasn't nearly as fun sparring with herself...how depressing.

"_Yawn..._" Time to sleep then, until something _happened_ around here.

OOOOO

They emerged victorious and unscathed, as always. Unless you counted the few who had fallen on missions that occurred ever so long ago, which you didn't. They'd be pretty horrible thieves if they botched a simple raid like this. As the lizard demon had said, the group of demons was painfully weak, probably transporting the treasure to a lord or some such nonsense. The fools were utterly careless, but even if they weren't, what could they do?

"Good times always end far too soon," Kurama sighed, drop-kicking the head of one of the corpses. It landed in a bush some 20 feet away. He admired an emerald that was at least the size of his palm.

"You have a sick fascination with pretty things, you know?"

"You have no right to say that." His partner was nearly buried in all sorts of gems and jewelry one could imagine.

"I just felt like wearing some."

" Liar..."

"Fine, so we're _both _obsessed, not that it's anything to brag about..."

"Nothing wrong with a past-time, and my past-time just happens to be collecting pretty things."

"No, not when you're a sadistic klepto, of course there's nothing wrong..."

"That's the spirit."

"Ahhhhhhhh..! Leave me alone! I'm begging you! One of the bandits hurtled through the thick brush, apparently fleeing from something.

"What the hell's going on!" Kuronue inquired irritably.

"It's that brat again! She won't leave me alone! Going on about how she needs someone to practice on."

Kuronue felt for the demon, if ever a demon _could _feel. Before any more words were exchanged, another more familiar blur flew the forest toward them. The frightened bandit cursed as the shadow appeared directly above him. The other bandits merely observed as Natsumi's foot connected with her victim's face, resulting in him kissing the ground. She picked him up, and hurled him about ten yards with the greatest of ease.

"Weakling." She yawned, in ignorance of the sickening smack of the demon's landing.

"Are you killing all our men, yet again!" Kuronue demanded.

"You didn't train them right."

Why that smart-ass little...she needed a good throttling. Wonder where she got that arrogance from...?

"Perhaps I've made you too strong for them..." Kurama grinned.

"You take her side for too often, it's no wonder she's so spoiled. She's crippled half our men so we don't get nearly as much treasure as we should!"

"Relax. Worry much?" Kurama offered a hand to Natsumi, who crawled right up him, finally deciding to perch herself on his shoulders.

"See!" She's too damn spoiled for her own good!"

Kurama merely shrugged, the matter of no consequence to him. Natsumi rested her chin on his head as they made their way back to camp. Neither of them noticed her pick a large yellowish fruit out of a passing tree, which resembled a pear.

"Ow! God damnit!" Kuronue curses as the blunt object made contact with his face. He shot a death glare toward Natsumi, who wore a mask of innocence.

"Ooohh...what I'd give to put my hands around your neck..."

"What'd I do?"

"Why the hell do you let her get away with this ! Every single time!"

The only response to the outburst was laughter. Big surprise. They reached the camp as Kuronue, spirit broken, finally stopped trying to prove Natsumi's guilt. To hell with it.

"Can we fight now!"

"Ok..." Kurama started, but stopped in midsentence, ostensibly distracted by something. Natsumi turned to see what on earth was keeping him form attending the business at hand. All she saw was a group of _very_ scantily clad demonesses giggling amongst themselves while they stared at Youko.

"Oh good, the bimbos return," Kuronue commented rather snottily.

"I take it things like that keep you from getting any."

"Shut up. I'll have my fun with a women that are _not_ dumb bitches. Unlike you, I don't take advantage of every bloody opportunity."

"Can I help it if I'm too attractive and want to share with the world?" He tossed his hair, winking at the women.. "You can have some too, if you like. I'm sure one or two will look your way."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll find women who actually have a decent taste in men." He stormed off as the raging ocean of hormones edged closer. It was a blond-haired, blue eyed tigress that approached, clad in nearly nothing. She wore an outfit resembling a swimsuit, with a deep part down the middle, revealing quite a bit of cleavage. Unsurprisingly, the outfit turned several heads, and even Youko couldn't resist a look.

"Hi," she greeted, a seductive purr in her voice, making sure to brush up against him ever so slightly.

"Hi yourself," the reynard smirked. Why shouldn't he enjoy himself? He earned it, after all.

The blond played with her hair. "My friends and I were wondering if you were up for some...entertainment tonight..." She licked her lips in anticipation.

"Perhaps..." At this point Youko surveyed the other meat, to see if they were as delectable as the blonde. The other woman giggled even more upon being inspected by the kitsune. Among them a sky blue-haired, pink eyed water nymph look-alike, a red-haired elf look-alive with pale blue skin, and a pink haired-emerald eyed demoness who resembled a human, save for the slightly pointed ears. The race of this demoness was difficult to determine, though she did have youki.

"You like?" The blonde inquired.

"I do indeed...er.."

"It's Akina"

"Right." Not that he'd remember afterwards, but what the hell.

"Why don't you all go off for a drink? I'll join you soon enough."

More giggles. Natsumi found every last one of them extremely irritating. What was wrong with these idiots? It was only then that she was noticed.

"Ah, what an adorable kit.!"

"Is she yours?" Mizuka, the water nymph, voiced what the whole group wondered about. They'd beat the hell out of the mother. Kurama was _theirs._

He'd forgotten that she was still perched on his shoulders somehow.

"Of course not...this squirt just became a part of the group, I suppose." HE shrugged. " You feed her once and she keeps coming back for more."

Natsumi growled.

Youko put Natsumi back on the ground as gently as possible.

"Why don't you go annoy someone for awhile? Beat 'em up. I'll catch up with you again later."

"But you said we were gonna fight dammed!" Natsumi whined. Where on earth did she pick up such foul language?

"A matter came up. We'll spar later, relax. Besides, you've already picked up quite a bit.

"Why not now! Can't it wait? What can you do with them that you can't do with me!"

It was all Youko could do to keep from going into hysterical laughter. So innocent.

"That's not important for now. I'm sure you'll find some way to amuse yourself, ok? It won't take too long, I swear."

It would take awhile if the women had anything to say about it.

"... Fine, see if I care." Natsumi marched off, leaving Youko to his 'entertainment', whatever the hell that was. Oh good, back to lying around doing nothing. Damn those idiots for stealing him from her. The hour grew late, maybe she'd go steal a quick snack.

Natsumi's eyes shot open. The dream again, frightening as ever, because of it's unfathomable resemblance to reality. Why on earth did she have to keep seeing these things! She was unnerved, and there was only one place to go when that happened, although it was still a little shameful to do it. Ambling off of her bed she marched out of the tent and across the vast campsite, until she reached a much larger tent at the edge of the camp. The sight was unbelievable, horrific even! Those women all appeared to be trying to kill Youko. HE was covered in females. But why on earth were they naked? That part Natsumi really didn't understand. She shattered a glass of alcohol, prepared to slaughter these enemies nonetheless. The noise brought the 'assassins' to attention.

"What was that!" The read-head lifted her head up in search of the cause of the disruption. All heads eventually turned to Natsumi, poised as if for a great battle.

"Wrong tent, dear." Akina started snottily. "It's past your bedtime." A cold gaze was aimed at Natsumi, signaling that she should vacate the premises. The others were more than a little annoyed as well, after all, who would want their time with Youko Kurama interrupted?

Natsumi attacked.

"Oh, get off, you annoying little witch!" Akina attempted unsuccessfully to peel Natsumi off, resulting in a scratched and bloodied face. Natsumi moved on quite swiftly after spotting Kurama undergoing some bizarre form of torture. It appeared one of the women was biting at something on a lower part of his body. There was so much to this she didn't understand but there was no time to ponder. A moan from

Natsumi attacked.

"Oh, get off, you annoying little witch!" Akina attempted unsuccessfully to peel Natsumi off, resulting in a scratched and bloodied face. Natsumi moved on quite swiftly after spotting Kurama undergoing some bizarre form of torture. It appeared one of the women was biting at something on a lower part of his body. There was so much to this she didn't understand but there was no time to ponder. A moan from Youko indicated to her that he was in trouble. She lunged a t the water nymph, the one conducting the gruesome violation.

"Eeeek! What the hell is this!" The frightened nymph was putting up a failing effort to protect herself from Natsumi's furious blows.

"Get off him! Raaawwrrrr!" Young kitsune bites can be extremely painful, often extracting quite a bit of blood.

"AAAAAAAOOOOOOOWWW!" GODDAMN LITTLE BITCH!"

"Get the hell out!"

"Little pest! Runt!"

An all-out war had commenced fairly rapidly between the groupies and furious kit. Items flew across the room and claws hit and missed their targets. In the midst of his ecstasy Youko was suddenly aware that something was not quite right, judging by the racket. He parted the sea of groupies trying to figure out the source of the problem, whatever that was. He could not believe what he was seeing. Natsumi was flying all over the room clawing, biting, kicking, scratching and using generally whatever means necessary to maim his women. Never had demon wars been more brutal.

"I'll kill you!" Akina flung herself at Natsumi, the others in quick pursuit. It was about time to intervene before someone was really murdered.

"What the hell's going on!"

The women appeared to be tongue-tied for a moment, then they all rushed into explanations, each trying to explain the situation at once. It was giving Kurama a headache. He held up a hand to silence them, then approached Natsumi, kneeling down in front of her.

"I'm listening."

" They were trying to kill you!" Natsumi said in frustration, wondering why the kitsune didn't get what had happened. "I saw them on top of you, attacking you, and doing weird things to you!"

Ah of course...the girl was still so naive. Youko had never bothered telling her about this kind of stuff...not yet anyway. It was easy to misconstrue the events. Someone would have to educate her soon enough, but not now.

"They were not attacking me," He explained. "We were merely involved in...playtime, so to speak."

"Then why didn't you invite me!"

This was going to be far more complicated than expected.

"Adults play quite differently from young ones such as yourself, and you are far too young for such activities." He would kill the bastard that so much as looked at her...

"..."

"Mmm, I'll explain it to you when you're older..."

"You're _always _saying that! Why aren't I old enough now!"

"Just trust me for once, will you?" He laughed. "And by the way, why did you come to my tent in the first place?"

"Had 'em again..."

"I'm flattered that you're trusting enough to be willing to share a room with me."

"Hn...I trust you."

"What about us! You gonna get rid of her or not!" Akina didn't appreciate being ignored like this, like she was nothing. The others didn't look pleased either. Youko's ears gave an irritated twitch.

"Are you giving me orders...?" He inquired in a dangerously calm voice. Something about his eyes told her she'd better shut up.

"No...it's just, we were..."

"We were done, I think."

The others started to interject but he gave them 'the look' as well.

"I think you're making a big mistake..."

"You're the only one."

All of the women stormed out, furious that they were cheated out of their night of entertainment, and wishing Natsumi a violent death. Natsumi however, couldn't care less as she immediately climbed into his bed. The war was over; now she could finally get some rest.

I am so sorry about the delay with this chapter! First my computer wasn't working, then there was a ton of schoolwork and I had wanted to add a bit more for you guys. It won't be long before the end now, and I have no clue what I'm going to do after this story. I tried my best with this chapter and hope you guys like it. You know what to do! If I don't get reviews my depression skyrockets ( dead serious). Anyway, see you guys in Chapter 8!

P.S.: This story may undergo a title change...I'll let you know next chapter, which should be up by early December. I'm trying to commit myself more.


	8. Wanting

Hey people! Chapter 8 at last! I'm sorry I didn't get this up sooner but I've been having problems with my chapter screwing up every time I tried to post it. I'm hoping to God it works right this time. Please, come in and kick back and enjoy the next chapter, my friends.

Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis/Flashbacks

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

" Are you giving me orders…?" He inquired in a dangerously calm voice. Something about his eyes told her she'd better shut up.

" No…. It's just, we were..."

" We were done, I think."

The others started to interject but he gave them 'the look' as well.

" I think you're making a big mistake…"

" You're the only one."

All of the women stormed out, furious that they were cheated out of their night of entertainment, and wishing Natsumi a violent death. Natsumi however, couldn't care less as she immediately climbed into his bed. The war was over; now she could finally get some rest.

Chapter 8: Wanting

Youko watched as Natsumi took care to stake out a place in his bed. He'd raised such a dominant and possessive young kit.

" I do hope you've made yourself at home."

" Yup." She turned to look at him.

"…"

"Something on your mind?"

"When I'm older, can I play too?"

After that incident, Natsumi didn't seem to get along with too many of the demonesses that entered the camp. When it came to Kurama anyway. A lot of the time they ended up abandoning a night with the legend because of her antagonistic methods of purging the area. At least a month went by that the poor kitsune could never 'play', to Kuronue's great amusement.

" Four weeks, God forbid." He commented in a mocking tone.

"A whole month though!" Youko cried in consternation, an action normally uncharacteristic of him.

" You're nothing but a big baby…Maybe you should find some other interests to pass the time. Besides plundering twenty-four seven, of course…"

His partner stared at him as if he'd just recently had a gender change.

"I'm going to ignore that." He left the campgrounds.

"Where are _you _off to?"

" If you must ask, to get wasted."

" God, he's just like one of those whores. All looks and no brain."

Natsumi drop-kicked the bandit at least a good fifty feet through the air, dodging an assault from a second, dark blue skinned apparition in the process. He drew his claws, intending to slash his attacker to bits. He successfully removed a few hair strands with admirable skill. His partner had never returned after his 'trip', probably a wise decision. The current fighter scanned the area for his opponent, who stood smirking behind him. This was not one of the upper bandits. He at least had the sense to draw his sword in time to keep from being slaughtered by her own piercing weapon. A fine sword indeed; the blade was near unbendable, and could cut through any enemy within seconds. No doubt Youko took the kit seriously. A very impressive weapon for someone as young as herself to be wielding. They stood frozen in sword-to sword combat for several moments, when the bandit had seemingly had enough and swung the weapon around in attempt to catch her off guard. This effort proved to be futile. Natsumi swung with full strength this time, actually forcing his wrist back and resulting in the sword to take a short trip across the landscape. She landed a fury storm of blows to the demon's head, and the blood flew.

"Damn…you…" he managed to get out through a terribly broken jaw. "Brat!"

Foolishly, he swung his claws again, meaning to extract revenge. A grinding, crackling noise indicated at least two broken fingers. Of course there were screams. But Natsumi still held her position, more than prepared for some more action.

" Whassa matter, baby?" She taunted cruelly. " You _can't_ be thatweak_." _

She kneed him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, perhaps along with a tooth. She had no desire to kill helpless demons for no real reason. The bandit was gone in moments, most likely seeking sanctuary from this monster of a demon. It wasn't fair. There didn't really seem to be anyone to fight, save for Youko, and he always made excuses not to. Sure, they sparred now and then, but it didn't seem often enough, especially when there wasn't much entertainment around the god-forsaken camp. No entertainment that he seemed to think she was old enough for, anyway. This time she'd drag him back from wherever the hell it was he'd gone to this time. They _would _fight today.

" You again? It's not like you to drink so much booze. Hell, you've never even been in here this often."

" I never knew you worried about me so much."

Youko had felt like hitting the nearest pub, not that he actually had to pay for his drinks. Why should he waste his precious gold and silver, when all he had to do was throw out a name? Many times no words were required before the area was cleared. This place had particularly good alcohol, the heavy stuff, too, guaranteed to give you some kind of buzz. Although it took him quite a while to get even a little tipsy, and he had never really been 'intoxicated'. You'd have to be a pretty weak criminal to have a low alcohol tolerance, anyway. He'd already taken in 7 or 8 rather large mugs of some sort of mixture of vodka and gin, and he wasn't feeling particularly inspired to move too much. Though he could, if he felt like it. The world seemed to tilt ever so slightly when he stood. Nothing he couldn't handle. The feeling was dissipating already.

" I think you're drunk."

The speaker, a demoness who looked neither young or old observed. She was relatively tall, though probably not more than six feet or so, with straight raven hair let loose down her backside. Her eyes were every bit as dark. Her black ears resembled those of some sort of lizard creature, or water apparition, he couldn't tell. Her tail might have been of a lizard of some kind as well. He'd never bothered to ask about her race.

" Worry? You're a laugh a minute." She continued, grinning at her 'customer.' " You can go out and get butchered into little pieces for all I care. I just don't want any drunk, raving bandits causing shit in my bar and ruining my business."

" Oh, Haruka, you know you don't mean that. Where would you be without me?"

" Heaven."

He leaned slightly over the counter, closing some of the distance between them.

" You say that, but I'll bet deep down you pine for me." He moved back, offering her a 'view of the goods.'

" Ugh, please. Don't make me vomit. Do you honestly believe me to be one of those floozies?"

" You're a terrible liar, sweetheart. You and I both know what you feel."

" You damn narcissist."

It was at this point that the doors to the seedy establishment opened, drawing little attention from the occupants. The visitor was a rather agitated looking Natsumi, to Kurama's horror.

Natsumi looked around the place with curious eyes, taking in the sights, sounds and odors. Clearly she'd never entered a place such as this before. Youko had made sure of that up until now. Everywhere she looked their were demons drinking, gambling, fornicating, or looking for a partner (be it male or female) for the occasion. Though she didn't understand some of these things. What was it they were drinking? Did it taste good? She'd try and steal a swig later. Right now there were more important matters at hand. Spotting her target, she shoved her way through the crowds. A heavy grip on her arm halted the journey, however. A rather unattractive demon with a face only too reminiscent of a smashed ogre's grinned at her, baring rotted, yellow teeth.

" Hey," He began, an unpleasant gleam in his eye.

" You're a pretty little thing, you know that?"

"…? " What was this weirdo's problem? Natsumi didn't care at all for the way he was staring at her, like a predator about to pounce. Luckily for her Youko had seen the ogre-faced demon grab her and was pushing through the crowd of drunkards to get to her.

The demon ran a hand down her smooth face, fingers tracing over her features.

" You'll prob'ly grow up to be quite a looker, you know." His hand moved down south.

" Do you…want to play with me?" A horrible grin presented itself.

" N-no, I don't have time for this. Lookin' for someone…" Natsumi pushed him off only to have him grab both her arms in a much tighter hold.

" Find 'em later. I promise this will be a lot more fun…"

" No!" She struggled as he half-dragged her toward the doors. What was going on! Why did this fool insist on harassing her so? What did he mean by play? She'd heard Youko use similar terms but she still wasn't clear on the meaning.

Just as the demon was about to strike her for her disobedience, something flew at him, resulting in the loss of both of his arms. Blood flew everywhere, accompanied by the blood-curdling screams of Natsumi's pursuer, of course.

" I suggest you take what's left of you and leave." An icy voice stated. Youko did not look pleased. " Though it's more than what you deserve." He spat at the demon bleeding to death.

The horrified demon stumbled out the door, oceans of blood still leaving his body. Despite being spared, he would not survive the night.

" What are you doing here?" Now that the perpetrator was vanquished, his attention shifted to the child.

" Trying to find you, so we can fight," She replied calmly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. After four years, perhaps it should have been. But this was not the place a young one like herself should be looking. If he hadn't noticed… he didn't want to think about it. Sooner or later, he'd have to educate her on this sort of thing, before something did happen.

" How did you even find this place? I did not intend for you to be in an…environment such as this."

" Kitanaru told me. He said your whole life revolves around stealing, drinking, and 'fucking'."

Youko held his temper back. He would deal with that idiot at a later time.

" In the future, you are not to come here. Not until you're older, or with a guard. I'd rather you not be here at all. Understand?"

What the heck was the big deal about it? She couldn't help remembering the incident with the whores. He'd been uptight after that as well.

"I'm not a baby." She pouted.

"Compared to me you are." He mussed her hair, a habit that annoyed her a little bit.

"I mean it. I don't want you in here. I don't believe you realize how badly you could've been hurt."

"How?"

" I won't discuss that with you now…"

Urgh! Did he have to do that every time she asked a stupid question!

"Well, I'm fine now. We're going, 'k?" She made a valiant effort at dragging him out of the establishment, but the size difference made it a vain use of energy.

"…Shit!" It was becoming more tempting to fight the bastard here and now.

"C'moooon!"

She sent a flurry of punches at the unrelenting kitsune, who simply blocked them, or when he didn't bother with that simply stood there unharmed by the blows. She seized one of his legs, meaning to bring him out by brutal force. Although after that previous episode, you could hardly call this method 'brutal.'

Youko continued his observations, highly amused by the girl's resilience.

"Argh!" She threw herself on the floor, until it was _he _who dragged _her_ out of the pub.

"What am I going to do with you?"

" Traaain me, god damn it!" Her fangs embedded themselves into Kurama's arm. He wouldn't be able to throw the kit off if he wanted to, so he let her hang there. Evidently nothing fazed this demon.

" Ok, ok, I'll see what I can do. But you don't really need too much anymore, you know."

If that was true, then why couldn't she go on a freaking theft!

They walked for quite a while, as the bar was a little bit out of the way of the camp. Someone approached them as they approached the all-too familiar rocks and ledges. Natsumi took flight, looking to kill an enemy. This reaction clearly annoyed the other demon.

" Damn it! Must you do that every time!" An angry Kuronue wrestled with Natsumi, trying to gain the offensive advantage. Natsumi continued her assault with more ferocity than ever.

"Argh! Make her stop!" She bit down on him with as much animosity as possible. Kuronue mustered all the strength within him to hurl her across the forest. It was fortunate that Youko caught her.

Kuronue stood defiantly, brushing the clumps of dirt off and taking a personal vow of vengeance against Natsumi.

"What brings you here? Worried that something might happen to this gorgeous creature?"

"In your dreams. Thought you might be interested in this raid. I know how you love locks and safes and that sort of crap."

"Heh. I just like to see their meager excuses for challenges. Unlike the rest of you useless fools."

"Snob."

" Because I'm the best."

Still being held up by Youko, Natsumi was seething. He was about to ditch her yet again! What was so important that it couldn't wait a few hours!

"He's not going." It wasn't a request, it was a statement, and it was final. No more would she be left behind. "We're training."

"Didn't know you became my guardian." Youko grinned. Such an amusing child.

She nodded seriously. "Yup. And I say you're not abandoning me again."

"We just fought yesterday, didn't we? You should learn to relax a little. Or is it you want me all to yourself ?" He laughed.

Natsumi wouldn't dignify that bit of mockery with a response.

"But I wanna get stronger! You're the only one who's worth fighting in all of Makai!" She ignored Kuronue's mumbled threats.

" How would you know ?You've never even seen that much of the world. " Youko laughed. "Although you _are _correct."

"Oh brother."

"I know some stuff though."

" Have I ever truly neglected you?"

She thought about it for a moment. He'd always gotten around to their sparring sessions eventually, every time. He'd always been there when she'd embarrassingly fled to his tent after the dreams.

"No…I guess…" But still…

" Tell you what," He offered. "I'll personally extend your training, and if you can get through that I might let you come on a smaller raid sometime.

"Really!" It would be nice to be one of the thieves. She knew she'd be better than most of the idiots in the camp.

"Maybe…if I don't hear any complaints…" Why not? She was progressing considerably faster than expected in her training, but she still wasn't ready yet…there were still things to teach her. But he had no doubt she'd master them, no matter how long it took.

" You're insane. She'll be killed within seconds. Or she'll jynx us" Natsumi stomped on Kuronue's foot, animosity regenerated.

"Owww! Wait 'til I get my hands on you…!

"Look, are we going or not! If we hang around any longer someone else will beat us to it!" It was all too easy to get Youko revved for an attack.

" Well, maybe if you weren't so distracted by that…creature!" Kuronue pointed an embittered finger toward Natsumi, who in turn made a face at him.

" Let's go, children…" He glanced down at Natsumi. " _You_ go back to camp, away from that bar. Got it?"

A nod. The bandits walked off.

No use in fighting the inevitable. It was funny how he got her to back off. She wondered what kind of trick he was using that it worked on her every damn time. This time, it was because she'd kill ( literally probably) to go on a theft. Whatever she wanted, she would get. An idea came to mind. She decided it wouldn't hurt to follow them just this once, so long as she took care not to be caught. And so she learned the general the path they took, not that it mattered. She'd just follow their youki later.

OOOOO

"Where is this place?" Youko demanded, anxious for bloodshed. The last several days had been too dull indeed.

"Not much further." Kuronue pointed. The woods looked to open up somewhere up ahead. They had been too eager to bother gathering more bandits for the mission, not that they had any real use for them. Their victims also had a camp set up, but it wasn't nearly as well hidden as theirs by the trees. Much of the area in the immediate vicinity had little or no plant life. So they discussed their attack amongst the bushes distant from the campsite which still allowed them a glimpse. They were jolted from their fantasies of plundering by footsteps to their immediate right. Apparently, the other bandits didn't need to be informed of an attack. It seemed to be somewhat of a sixth sense among them. Of course Kitanaru had joined them.

"Oh for God sake!" Kuronue snapped. "We could have taken your heads, sneaking up on us like that!"

Kitanaru shrugged. " Your senses must not be up to snuff then, to act like such a woman. Anyway, you're the intruder, I knew about this long before you did, I bet."

" The hell you did." Kuronue was far too easily antagonized. " We don't need your help, if you could call it that."

"Tough shit. I'm not missing out on my profits. Besides, you might need my aid."

Youko snorted.

"Spoken like a true prick." A brawl was halted by a hand gesture from their leader.

" You two will get us caught."

" So? It's not like we couldn't take them out. Besides it was this git's fault."

Kurama didn't give a damn whose fault it was; he was itching to pounce. Their infantile bickering certainly wasn't moving the process along. He simply walked off toward the campsite, everyone in pursuit except of course for Kuronue and Kitanaru who had other issues to deal with for the moment. One of the demons in the camp noticed the strangers.

"Stop! " He picked up a nearby spear, as if that would frighten them away. He got a good look at the leader of the thieves and almost instantly retreated, probably to inform the rest of the camp. No part of him made it farther than a few feet save for the bone marrow of his arms and torso. A shower of broken body parts. Despite the rose-whip's effectiveness, the rest of the camp heard the gurgled shouts before the lone defender met his end. At this point, the two stranded thieves returned to the realm of the thinking.

" Those bastards again! Kill 'em all! Don't you dare let them take anything!"

They charged, a flurry of fury. The thieves remained unfazed.

" Feh. The fools kept making the same mistakes. They deserved to die. The counterattack was merciless. The air was thick with bloody heads with dented skulls, severed limbs, and many different organs. A beautiful massacre for he who lusts for it. The group split up, attacking the tents they came across in search of the fruits.

" You know the drill. Take everything and put everything in your way to death!"

They didn't really need to be told this, many of the inhabitants had lost their lives long before. It was a very merry occasion. Kitanaru smiled like a young boy opening a present as he ripped the intestines from the body of an unwary demon. Even Kuronue's grouchy mood had dissolved as he mutilated a couple more with the greatest of ease. They must have been enjoying themselves so much they didn't acknowledge Natsumi's entrance.

For a while she simply stood there, admiring the carnage. So this is what is was like. Youko had made it out to sound far more life threatening, but this wasn't a big deal. She could beat the hell out of those men. What were all those chests in the middle of the place for…? Anyone would be curious of the contents. If Natsumi could find a way through this mess, she'd treat herself to a look. A body flew barely a foot above. Time to move, or it would be _her _body that flew. When she went to examine the trunks, she found them to have locks on them. The bandits had spoken of such things. They were supposed to be difficult to open. You had to have a 'key' or be strong enough to crack one open yourself. The problem with that option is that many times they had a barrier, which rendered physical assaults on them useless. As she was examining the small one closest to her, she tried to tug it open. Of course that didn't work. Kicking it and pulling with all her God-given strength didn't help either. Her frustration distracted her from the thin, scaled demon approached her from the rear. His skin was a disgusting shade of brown, his facial features were not unlike those of a saber-toothed tiger. He had large, protruding feet to support his indescribably scaled body.

" Damn damn damn!" By now the ruckus in the camp was beginning to dull, as more and more victims forfeited their lives. This obviously was a survivor embittered at the assault. With an evil smirk, he raised tusk-like claws in preparation for the kill. Natsumi turned, dodging only just in time. She still took on a surface wound in the process however, although very shallow.

" Since when did they need a weak child to steal for them!" The attacker bared hideously chipped ivory fangs.

" It doesn't matter worth a damn. Meat is meat." The voice was as hideous as his voice, as if he was constantly swirling water in his larynx. He lunged, but his only reward this time was a swift, piercing kick between the legs.

" Bitch!" He tried to grab at Natsumi and nurse his wound simultaneously. This little wretch would not make a fool of him and live to brag about it. Gathering speed, he attacked yet again, and managed to get a death-grip on her throat.

"…ngh.." He was faster than she imagined. She needed to get herself out of this fix quickly; it was getting increasingly difficult to take a breath. She mustered up enough concentration to summon the dagger while he sliced her left leg with vindictive pleasure. Before he could make it a far deeper injury he found the dagger impaled in his heart. A look of frustration and surprise crossed his face, but his grip loosened. Natsumi fell to the ground, simply watching as he stumbled around in his last moments. A fatal blow to the skull from behind ended this.

Kitanaru stared at Natsumi with a confused expression on his face.

" What the hell are _you _doing here!" Though there was no anger suggested in the tone of his voice.

" Youko will kill you. You're not supposed to be here."

" Hmph. I'll do what I like. Didn't feel like being left behind again!." She scowled.

Kitanaru laughed. The girl was a riot.

" Guess I can't really blame you when you're stuck in that boring camp all day. But still, you should get out of here, before he sees you…Go on. " He tried to shoo her off, which she flatly ignored, returning to the treasure chests. For the crap she endured she would definitely be taking her share. There had to be some alternate method for opening the thing. She closed her eyes, trying to see of she could force some energy into it. As the raid, ended, more and more of the thieves came over to see what the foolish thing was up to. Kuronue wondered what all the fuss was about, and spotted her.

" That disobedient little-! What the hell is she doing!"

" Hm? What's who doing?" Kurama emerged from a nearby tent, laden with a bloody sack of unknown goods, a twisted alternation on the 'Santa Claus' legend, one might imagine.

"You know, for a thief, you sure act dumb after a mission…."

"Eh? Huh?"

" 'Eh?' Wha?' 'Huh?'" Kuronue mocked Kurama's naivete.

" Bitchy much?" That's when he _finally_ saw the crowd gathering around the chests.

" What's going on?" Took the masochistic son of a bitch long enough.

Natsumi didn't move from her post beside the chest, still determined to make it open, to the amusement of her spectators. They all shared a laugh at the girl's foolishness. This kid had no idea what she was doing, but they might as well let her play pretend for a little while.

Click

" What was that!"

"Dunno, think it came from one of those chests?"

" Did it unlock?"

"Don't be an idiot! How could it have!"

Having also heard the strange sound, Natsumi awoke to her surroundings once again. She'd try one last time to open it. She prepared for another pointless physical struggle with the thing, only to have the top whip open, exposing hundreds of coins, gold and silver, with the occasional stone. The thieves were left speechless.

"No way that runt could have unlocked it through sheer mental energy! It was probably a shitty trunk or something!"

" You think? That's a strange coincidence…"

" You clod! What kind of kid has that kind of power!"

The murmuring continued, and arguments arose. Natsumi merely looked at the stuff for a few moments, reaching in from time to time and letting the coins run through her hand. Kitanaru knelt down next to her, gazing with unbelieving eyes at what had just occurred.

" Nice job, kit," He complimented, duly impressed.

" He's been working your ability even harder than I thought, the bum."

Natsumi returned the widest grin she'd probably ever revealed during the previous four years with the band.

A shadow fell upon them, and Kitanaru immediately stood to attention. The puzzled victor turned to see the reason for this and the sudden silence that fell over the camp. She caught the gaze of an angry- looking Youko Kurama.

" I thought I told you no to come here. Did I not make that clear?" His voice was dangerously calm, like the calm before a storm in a way. The voice that told one they were in trouble, like a parent about to pass judgment on a misbehaving child.

" I wanted to watch, just this once. "Natsumi stood her ground. She wasn't the least bit sorry for not submitting herself to another day of boredom, while he got to live it up.

" You mean you felt you had the right to disobey my orders?"

" Hey, c'mon, you know how it is in these parts. The girl wanted a little action is all. She's not hurt or anything."

" Ohh..really?" Youko replied snidely, looking at the gashes on Natsumi's leg and cheek. His eyes also caught the bruising from when the demon had attempted to strangle her.

" This is not your concern. I think you've meddled too much as it is."

" Right…" Kitanaru rejoined the throng.

" The rest of you, get out of here. Our work is over." The bandits happily obliged the command, wanting to put as much space between themselves and the furious fox as possible.

The stare-down continued for some time, before Natsumi spoke up.

" I dunno why you're so mad, I didn't do nothin' wrong!"

Youko closed the distance between them, such as that Natsumi was very unnerved all of a sudden. She tried to back up, but he would not allow for such avoidance tactics. Kneeling down, he spoke in that same intimidating tone.

" The point is, you didn't heed my words. I don't accept that kind of action from _any_ of my men, not that they pull stunts like what you just did. Because they know the penalty for insubordination is death." His voice grew lower still, barely more than an ominous whisper on the humid air.

" If you expect to be one of them, you must obey like one of them. Because if you continue down the path you've started…" He nuzzled her cheek with his own

" I'll be forced to administer the same punishment on you. Neither of us wants that, do we?" His grip loosened. Natsumi slowly shook her head, not admitting to herself that for at least an instant, he had terrified her.

The smallest trace of a smile crossed his face. " I knew you were intelligent enough to understand." He gently rubbed the dried blood from her cheek.

"…You seem so tense. I'm not going to murder you now, you know." He stood up and walked away, leaving Natsumi staring after him.

"Let's head back. I'm sure they all think I did murder you or something….and as for your injuries…those wounds will heal fairly rapidly on their own."

Natsumi followed hesitantly, careful to stay out of his way.

He turned to face her again.

" I couldn't be more overjoyed with the way you turned out. You…you're really going to be something. I can hardly wait to see you in another few years…" He left the clearing, leaving a confused and startled Natsumi to follow.

Well, only got one more chapter then the post is caught up. Hoorah! Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing and even to those who are just reading. I love you all! Please keep it up for me, do an old lady a favor….lol Well, see you next chapter!


	9. Reversal

Ah, after a bit more procrastinating, finally decided to get off my arse and upload chapter nine! AS always, I want to thank my readers and reviewers. blows kisses Here's the next chapter for y'all.

"Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis/Flashbacks

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

"If you expect to be one of them, you must obey like one of them. Because if you continue down the path you've started…" He nuzzled her cheek with his own

"I'll be forced to administer the same punishment on you. Neither of us wants that, do we?" His grip loosened. Natsumi slowly shook her head, not admitting to herself that for at least an instant, he had terrified her.

The smallest trace of a smile crossed his face. " I knew you were intelligent enough to understand." He gently rubbed the dried blood from her cheek.

"…You seem so tense. I'm not going to murder you now, you know." He stood up and walked away, leaving Natsumi staring after him.

"Let's head back. I'm sure they all think I did murder you or something….and as for your injuries…those wounds will heal fairly rapidly on their own."

Natsumi followed hesitantly, careful to stay out of his way.

He turned to face her again.

"I couldn't be more overjoyed with the way you turned out. You…you're really going to be something. I can hardly wait to see you in another few years…" He left the clearing, leaving a confused and startled Natsumi to follow.

Chapter 9: Reversal

Time's being continued to move on, each day an ephemeral existence. With every celestial wakening came more developments. Everything seemed to move on at such a rapid pace no matter what occurred.

Lurking in the forest, sheltered by the shadows of the trees, the figure went unnoticed by the unwary demons below. Absorbed in their meaningless banter, they would hardly notice their company, whose youki was well suppressed anyway. Fools, as they all were, but what kind of thief would she be if they _had_ noticed. She'd be laughed out of the camp. Thank kami-sama, _her _skills were far from amateurish. Gazing down at her targets, she was disappointed to find that they didn't seem to have much. She was always given the _little _assignments like this, but it was better than nothing at all. Better than being completely babied like before. Another demon took his place beside her.

" Hmm…they don't look that rich, but we've gotten some pretty good stuff at times. The lack of security's gonna be a huge plus." Kitanaru grinned in anticipation, although part of him was still embarrassed to be forced into babysitting Natsumi. Why did they always have to force these kinds of jobs on _him? _

"…"

Natsumi didn't really like the situation either, but how else would she be allowed to go?

"Do they really have good stuff in there? They look so poor…" She frowned.

Kitanaru laughed. " You'd be surprised at what you can find. Like one time, we went to these run-down, shabby-looking ruins, and found this huge diamond statue buried under there! Of course, Youko took it for himself before we got much of a look at the thing, but it was gorgeous!"

Natsumi smirked. " Well, he won't get the next one!"

" Heh. You've become possessive too I see. God, now we have two of 'em."

She shrugged. " I just want my slice of the pie."

Behind, them, the remainder of the small group snorted. What the hell was their leader thinking, assigning them to the lowest group, with a little kit even? These morons had better have some decent junk for this kind of inconvenience.

The demons approached a rundown building, a 'mini-mansion' seemed to be the best word, though it wasn't nearly as extravagant looking as it's relatives. It seemed to be the only establishment around this area. No witnesses; an added bonus, not that they needed such handicaps. Their victims (some type of reptilians) entered, still unaware of their stalkers.

" When do we attack!" Natsumi inquired eagerly. They may be insignificant jobs, but it was still fun for her.

"Now. Let's go."

Natsumi didn't need to be told twice. In an instant she and the elfin one were flying toward the ramshackle building. Grumbling and complaining, the stragglers were left to follow the trail.

Inside the demi-mansion, it was almost completely empty, there were barely any furnishings to be seen. Cobwebs blanketed the walls and the rusted chandelier that was suspended above them. Everything seems to be black, white or gray, with no hint of any color in the atmosphere, a bleak, hallow room.

" How can they live in a place like this?" Natsumi frowned at a strong odor coming from who knew where. What a creepy place.

" It's a good hideout, a haven. They look like criminals themselves."

"Well, then they gotta have something to steal." Kitanaru could almost see the saliva coming from the child.

" Yeah." He smirked

"So, do we attack them first, or get the treasure first."

"…" An eager young girl.

Behind them, the demons were growing impatient.

"Come on, Kitanaru! Why are we wasting time worrying about the child! We could have killed them and been on our way by now!"

"Yeah!" More irritated grumbles.

" Shut up….damn. " Before he could address Natsumi again, there were outraged cries. The 'reptiles' had found out someone was in their home that wasn't supposed to be

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" The first drew a sword

" Heh. Some thieves to be caught off guard like this. What idiots. "

The second of the two grabbed some object that looked like it had two scythes on each end. He swung it around, in a poor attempt to frighten the group, which of course it didn't,

Natsumi couldn't have looked more overjoyed.

"Why don't you do the honors and get the treasure? I'll keep these fools busy,." Kitanaru asked.

" Really! Hell yes!" She took off down one of the seemingly never -ending hallways, in search of the loot.

"You guys go with her, and don't give the girl any trouble. These bastards are mine." Kitanaru geared himself up for battle as the reptile attacked. His subordinates were understandably unhappy to have to answer to a child. Their threats and curses made that clear.

"Now. .." Kitanaru drew his own swords, his hands protected with what seemed to resemble metal knuckles

" Come on, suckers."

" You little prick!"

" We'll butcher you!"

Kitanaru attacked, showing no mercy. After all, ignorance didn't merit compassion.

" Come and get it!"

In the meantime, Natsumi hadn't found the treasure yet, but instinct told her she was steadily making progress. She loved the bloody fights as much as the treasure, if not more. They wouldn't be troublesome at all. Turning a corner, she stopped to explore a random room, sniffing out the rewards. An empty room, save for some rotted skeletons. Several of the rooms after that were identical, to the group's annoyance and disappointment. It looked like mutiny for while. Eventually the thieves were facing the rear side of the staircase from which the reptiles had attacked, but Natsumi still kept running, sprinting up the stairs. Looking back down, they saw Kitanaru had come through his fight unscathed. At least the hardwood floor had some new decorations; a couple of corpse sofas, which went pretty well with the rest of the room.

"What the hell...didn't find it, I take it?" He laughed.

Natsumi scowled. "Yeah." She spit on the floor, obviously a habit picked up from her elders.

"What about through there?" he motioned to the open doorway at the top of the staircase.

"It's probably through there." By the time he finished Natsumi was already through the doors.

"Heh…sharp one."

They sprinted off, following in her dust.

It seemed to be one gigantic hallway with faded red carpeting, the_only _thing of color. There were old pieces of armor and weapons that were too dull to have any real use or value in the Black Market. They passed through an old dining hall, though it was hard to tell with all the dust and lack of light. Chair's were overturned, and battered and shattered plates (some with rotted) food remained on the tabletop. No doubt the whole place was like this.

" I think we're getting closer…I might have seen a layout at some point."

At the right end of the dreary dining room, there was _another _set of black doors, metal.

" Heh…extra reinforcements…now I _know _we're getting close." He took out what looked like some kind of crowbar, and forced it into the lock. He put his full strength into it, and after several minutes, the doors opened slightly. Eager to get to the goods, the other demons pushed on the doors, eventually forcing them fully ajar.

"Some protection." Kitanaru snorted. Everyone attempted to shove past each other in their greedy eagerness.

"Geez, calm down , calm down. Now I remember...we_have_ been here on a few occasions...they always have some pretty little trinkets."

" Never brought _me._" Natsumi stared pointedly at her playful partner-in-crime.

" Oops...hehe...Well, you're here _now.."_ He shrugged.

The search for the treasure room was a time consuming event, but no one knew how much time exactly. Eventually Natsumi had wandered away, probably thinking she could find it by herself.

" Damn it…" Kitanaru cursed. "She _always_ does this. Not my fault if she falls into someone's trap and dies a horrible death…"

"Oi! C'mere!"

He and the remainder of the grouchy team went to see what she wanted.

"Don't tell me _you _found it, Son of a bitch…"

The excited glitter of gorgeous riches gleamed in Natsumi's eyes as she emerged from one of the rooms with a small sapphire bust, of some rich demoness from a long time ago.

"…Sure you ain't Youko's long lost love child?"

She giggled, and motioned for the others to go and grab their share as well. Within about fifteen minutes, they all were burdened with multiple sacks, except for Natsumi, who choose to carry one large bundle. It didn't seem to bother her though, as seen by her grinning throughout the trip back through the vacant place.

"Damn. This is just sad…why do we keep coming back here? There's no challenge at all," An anonymous demon piped up.

"Well, we've come so many times we've taken care of most of 'em. Wouldn't put it past Youko."

"I doubt it. Why would they still be staying here?"

"The same reason we keep coming back. _Morons. _"

"Heh…we're just saps for this crap, huh?"

Kitanaru smirked. "You forget that your dashing leader took care of the bulk of them out in the Main Hall before…" He ran a hand through his hair. " It wouldn't be so easy if it hadn't been for this brave thief."

The others groaned in exasperation.

" You give yourself too much credit"

"Oh, brother."

"No more goddamn narcissists!"

" Don't forget me!" Natsumi spoke up. " I'm even better than you!"

More groans.

Kitanaru burst out laughing. "That's a good one."

"…"

There was a lot of arguing on the trip back to the camp. Only a few weaker demons had challenged them, but they didn't live to tell about it. Back at the campsite, another group was getting ready for a raid of a much larger scale. They were preparing to leave just as Natsumi's group returned. Being the curious child she was, Natsumi was harassing the members of the group about the assignment.

"Where ya going?"

"What're ya stealing!"

"Is there lots and lots of pretty gems and gold?"

"Can I go?"

"What if you hid me in a sack?"

"Why're you all so grumpy?"

Many were irritated within a few more minutes. What kind of sweets was Youko feeding the girl? After a while, their only responses were submissive grunts, choosing to ignore her for the most part. Their leaders emerged from one of the tents.

" Damn. This is supposed to be a raid, not a funeral." Kuronue laughed. " What the hell is wrong with _you _guys?"

Over the mumbling he heard something about a 'kit whose mouth never closed.'

" Ah." He spotted Natsumi. " Feh. Go away.." He shooed her away, inviting her assault at the same time. He ducked to avoid the blow.

"Whatever. Let's go, before I'm old."

"Too late." Natsumi retorted.

Kuronue stood still and counted to ten before stalking off, so he wouldn't end up beating the hell out of her. Despite popular belief, he _could_control his temper.

Youko sighed. "beats the hell out of me why you two hate each other."

"I don't hate him, I just need _SOMEONE_ to bug." She shrugged, and went her own way, wherever that was, as did the kitsune.

OOOOO

By the time they approached the target of their agenda, dusk was already upon them , and the moon was beginning to make it's first appearance of the evening. Although it would still be a few more hours before night fell, and they would be out by then. The group was not known for time-consuming raids, after all. Their were surrounded by exotic forests on all sides, which more resembled a jungle of some sort than one of the usually opaque forests of Makai. Deep within this tropical forest was said to be a rather expansive and extravagant mansion, that supposedly housed particularly rare and exquisite items. It was also said to have top-notch security, an aspect that surely had to be tested. The place was far more luxurious than the ramshackle palaces they assigned to satisfy the kit. Their view of it's unique structure widened every step they took toward it, until they were at the front, and then through the doors nearly as quickly. Although it was pretty, it was nothing they hadn't seen before; a large marble structure with the typical statues of demonic gods and such at the gates. No guards out front? Strange, well rather stupid. It would have been pointless anyway, but they could at least afford the effort. Youko sincerely hoped that it would be somewhat challenging this time, and not a complete insult to his intelligence.

" Yawn " Kuronue stretched. " Let's just get this over with, so I can catch some sleep."

" That's all we ever seem to do." Youko smirked.

"You're a bad influence on me. Lazy bastard." Kuronue retorted.

" Maybe you wouldn't be so tired if you got rid of that fifty-pound necklace." He motioned at a moderately sized pendant around the bat's neck.

" Like hell I will, asshole. This baby's too valuable…" Kuronue fondled it with a certain affection that had always confused Kurama, but he rarely said anything about it.

The inside of the mansion was all marble as well, the interior decorated with silver statues. The sofas in the den were black as well , but the drapery was either black or a very deep shade of red. Black and silver seem to be the to basic colors for many of the larger rooms and the great hall. Now and then a guard would walk by, making sure there were no troublemakers. Most of the time the thieves concealed themselves, or quietly disposed of a body.

"Mmm…maybe most of them are near the treasure. That would make more sense." Kuronue offered.

"Likely," Youko replied in a lowered voice. It would not do well to draw attention to themselves, and he still wasn't fully sure about the security. One never knew where some fatal trap lay.

" Heh. Bet even your sixth sense couldn't get us through here."

" You're on. For your information, my nose knows the way."

" Ok, great leader. Show us."

" No faith in my ability?"

" None at all, sir."

" Fine, be a bitch. Go steal your own treasure, then."

Even through the seemingly endless hallways, with an infinite number of different rooms, the fox seemed to have an idea of where he was going. No one knew how. The fox _DID _have a nose for treasure. There was little light in most of the hallways, save for the occasion torch, but Youko didn't really need it . They were all trained to complete raids in the dark. Kurama would never tolerate weak fools who had a need for such trivial things. No 'ordinary' thieves were permitted in his band; no amateurs.

Kuronue fiddled with his pendant again.

" Will you cut that out! It's annoying."

" …I'm bored."

"We've only been wandering around the place maybe an hour."

Children, they all were. Simple minded children in grown up bodies.

"Are we there yet?"

" sigh "

"Well, are we?"

"…."

"Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?" Kuronue spoke directly into Youko's ear.

" I hate you all…"

"Annoyed?"

"Not in the least."

"Liar." Kuronue grinned.

"Tch. Oh look, we're here."

Before them stood one large doorway set with heavy steel, mixed with the black marble they'd seen throughout the rest of the manor. At least, it looked like one door, maybe two but they'd still be good sized, seven by twelve at the least. Playing across it's surface were scriptures of runes untranslatable to the group, with the possible exception of Youko. In the center there appeared to be a large series of locks, each made of either copper, silver, gold or some other material, so that one might have to find several types of keys. A thin barrier, barely visible to the eye shielded the gateway, two small stone statues on either side of the door.

" Feh. It all amounts to the same thing in the end. How disappointing." Youko pouted.

A gruesome plant wormed it's way up his arm, yellow saliva melting the ground where it hit. The instant it's multiple heads touched the barrier, it faded.

"Mm…still not gone yet. It's a _little_ stronger than the others. And this was one of my stronger pets…not _too_ bad. But if this is all they have for security, I almost weep for them."

Kuronue snorted.

" Pets, he calls them. More like freaks of nature that'll bite your head off the moment you blink."

They found themselves in a vast room, far larger in surface area than each of the rooms surveyed before. It's ceiling was not a ceiling, but what seemed to be a glass dome, of what color it was difficult to confirm, perhaps a tone of blue. Around it's perimeter, there was a lit torch that provided adequate light to catch at glance at the fruits of their labor. They scattered, in pursuit of specific things that caught their interest. It seemed that anything went treasure-wise…there was weapons and armor, gold and silver statues, murals and mirrors, which weren't nearly as common in a typical home. These were what caught the head bandit's curiosity. The first thing of interest was a large mirror with gold framing, and so he took the opportunity for a through examination.

' Hmm... this is top-quality material. I bet I could get a pretty penny for something for this.' He took the moment to gaze at the reflection, as if checking to see that he still looked his best. Satisfied that he was still the best looking of the bunch, he turned to check the status of his theft-mates. They were all still slobbering over their bounty, what a shock, not that they could really be blamed.

" A mirror?" Kuronue questioned. " Insecure again?" He grinned.

"Shut up. My tastes are more complex; I _am _a complex man you know."

" snort What a prissy man." Kuronue had gems a plenty hidden all over his body. His was set for now. He'd swiped a particularly nice set of daggers as well.

" Heh. Say what you like. I have a finer appreciation for the simpler things, unlike the ignorant around me. Besides, I can always come back for more. And I _did _get some other things…" He motioned to his various pockets, all presumably stuffed with the usual precious gems.

" Good. For a moment there, I thought you_ had _lost your pride."

Just as Kurama was about to make another smart reply, some sort of siren went off, at volume enough to break some eardrums.

"What the hell?" Kuronue swore. " How'd it get set off?" The entrances to the room were beginning to seal up .

" Who gives a damn! Move it! Unless you want to rot in here forever!"

The situation worsened as a violent storm of spikes and swords fell from the ceiling, slaughtering bandits immediately upon impact. It must have been at least half the group's innards that kissed the air in a sea of crimson, with bergs of remains floating the midst. Youko and Kuronue managed to slide under one of the doors before they were diced to pieces, but there was no time to see if anyone else did. And even they did not come out unscathed, both were bleeding profusely from puncture wounds in their abdomens and/or arms. There was no time to slow down, however, as all the exits in the place seemed to be sealing up, and the moment they got caught they were as good as dead. Someone was trailing them, Youko could pick up that scent anywhere.

"Feh. Someone tipped off the hunters." He frowned. That was why they'd bed dead if they were busted. He narrowly ducked a spear sent his way. The solid gold statue crumbed upon impact with the assault too. A brief glimpse back at the barred gateway to the treasure room informed the kitsune they no one else had made it. Their remains would not even exist now.

" If I ever get my hands on those sons of bitches…" Kuronue winced in pain. They'd got him good, the bastards.

The escape route was never-ending, one turn led to a hallway that seemed to stretch forever, and their bleeding hadn't exactly slowed. Their pursuers were not left behind for an instant. There wasn't even time for Youko to leave behind some of his plants. It was obvious they really wanted the bounty on the two, dead or alive.

"Shit." Kuronue was beginning to run out of steam. Even he was doubting whether he'd make it out this time. Thankfully the main entrance hall has just ten or so meters ahead, not that it would stop the predators in this ironically reversed game of cat and mouse. He felt something loosen and turned to see his pendant fall back into the corridor.

"Damn it!" Kuronue leaped after it, forgetting his lack of energy and the mansion's exit, which was merely a matter of feet now.

Kurama turned when he felt Kuronue's youki moving in the wrong direction.

" Kuronue! What the hell are you doing!"

" My pendant! I'm not going any damn place without it!"

" We don't have time for your sentimental bullshit, leave it!" He responded tensely. Why did Kuronue have to pull this crap _now_, of all times? He could steal something even better then that damn scrap of junk later on..

Kurama stopped.

"Damn it!" He started off in the same direction his partner had gone, and froze when there was a crashing sound and Kuronue's scream.

"That dumbass…!" He dashed as quickly as he could to his cohort to hurry up and get them the hell out of there. It would only be a matter of time before they were trapped now, and from the sounds of it, Kuronue had botched it. Highly unlike a high-class thief.

"…."

The sight was horrific. AT first glimpse, one would say Kuronue was trapped _inside_ of a cage that appeared to be made of some type of bamboo, but it was more that that. The 'bars' of the 'cage' seemed to have passed right through Kuronue, to the kitsune's horror. As he approached, Youko sincerely hoped it was some kind of optical illusion. The blood-bed forming around his of his comrade butchered that possibility. Kuronue was alive, but his youki was beginning to fade. He yelped as he tried to adjust himself to face Kurama, his breath staggered

" Why the hell did you do that!" Kurama demanded angrily, plotting a way to get him out of this without actually killing him.. The bamboo carried a potentially fatal amount of reiki, no doubt a plot by the bounty hunters to ensure that they got _something _out of all this. Kuronue voiced what the subconscious part of Youko knew.

" Forget it. There's no time left, and I'll have already bled to death anyway ." Kuronue smirked. " You'd be an idiot t waste this time anyway."

" Look who's talking. Listen to the bullshit you're spewing, already delusional."

"… hack wheeze " Kuronue gagged and coughed up what looked like a gallon of blood, to Kurama's dismay.

" You'd _better_ go on…. " He was starting to struggle in his speech. " What the hell's the point in _both_ of us getting knocked off here?"

Kurama was furious, but there had to be a decision made and fast. He could hear the footsteps now. It wouldn't be long before they had _his_ head…He just couldn't admit to himself that there was nothing that could be done….he couldn't accept it.

Kuronue heard the sounds echoing from behind as well.

"Run damn it! You can still save yourself, so your reign of terror c an go on." HE grinned a bit, then his facial expression tensed as he noticed Youko still faltering.

" _Run!"_

Kurama reluctantly obeyed, not letting any emotion take advantage of him at this stage.

Behind him, Kuronue smirked.

" Catch you later." A group of hunters approached the captive, smirks etched upon their facial features.

Kurama hurtled through the forest, keeping well aware of the fact that he was managing to put some distance between himself and the hunters. He knew he would…he _always _did. No surprise there. It was a bitter victory this time however. The taste of bile rose in his throat, but he kept it down. Such weaknesses should best be left for the fools. It was harder this time to keep going on, a little bit harder to go back, but he would. Weaklings would run away from facing such things…death was a natural occurrence in the Makai, he needed to remember that. But he would never forget Kuronue. Nor the last sound he uttered; a terrible shriek that echoed for a very short time before falling into silence.

OOOOO

Natsumi grumbled as she lay stretched out across the grass.

" Where are they?"

It was getting a bit late, and they should have been back by now. They were just probably loading up a bit more. Heaven forbid they should ever have enough. Not that she was bitter about her own collection of treasure as compared to theirs. Not at all.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a slightly beaten-up kitsune's appearance, to her surprise. She ran over with many questions on her tongue.

"What took you so long?" " What happened?" "Where's everyone else…?"

She was silenced by the blank look she received.

" There were…hunters." He started in a monotone. " "Everyone was killed." He walked over to the kit and embraced her, ignoring his wound.

"What about that annoying bat…?" It scared Nat5sumi to see him acting this way.

He nuzzled her, not bothering to lift his head.

"He's gone. He won't be coming back"

Ah, finally got that done. I have to reformat my chapters ever so slightly for so that's part of the reason why they're not up right away. Hope you enjoyed it, though I never wanted to be cruel to Kuronue…just his death fit. I really like him despite my portrayal of him…really did that for the humor. Ah well, nearly bedtime so I better hurry up and upload this. R+R and Later days!


	10. War

Ah, finally got Chapter 10! Hehe…sorry about the delay...got banned from the computer for two weeks…it was torture…even though I got a few minutes at play practices to use a comp… It's ok now though…got my computer back. How I love her! smooches comp I still can't stay up though…sniff Life's a bitch…but anyway, enough of the moaning. I now present to you all Ch. 10! Feast your fanfic-lovin' eyes!

P.S: Danie-san, Natsumi was supposed to be around 12 in at the end of Chapter 9. Sorry for any confusion! .

"Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis/Flashbacks

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

"What took you so long? What happened? "Where's everyone else…?"

She was silenced by the blank look she received.

" There were…hunters." He started in a monotone. "Everyone was killed." He walked over to the kit and embraced her, ignoring his wound.

"What about that annoying bat…?" It unnerved Natsumi to see him acting this way.

He nuzzled her, not bothering to lift his head.

"He's gone. He won't be coming back"

Ch. 10: War

Natsumi stayed where she was, unsure of what to do. It was an unexpected and saddening event, and she would never have wished it on Kuronue. She'd never actually hated him; just liked to piss him off to the fullest extent. It had been an amusing way to pass those long, boring hours.

"…He's dead." His voice was as blank as his facial expression.

"Come," He beckoned to her from the boulder he was sitting on. Natsumi obeyed, cautiously approaching him. In an uncharacteristic action even to her, he took her in his arms, resting his chin on her head. They remained in that position for several, minutes, neither saying anything. It seemed a long, particularly tense period of time, until Youko finally broke the silence again.

"I suppose we should head back…" Again, his voice was devoid of any real feeling.

"I should inform them…" This time, he choked ever so slightly, and Natsumi noticed. He found the strength to pick himself up, Natsumi latched onto his left arm. Not knowing what else to do, she leaned her head against him. Youko permitted himself a weak smile at this, and rubbed her ears with the same kind of affection. They resumed their walk back to the camp, although they took their time.

OOOOO

It was a blustery afternoon, although the generally warm climate compensated for this. Roaming around between places for the last several years had led the group to this warm region, where'd they had been able to hang around in moderate comfort. The warmth helped one survive the chilly winds, since there wasn't too much sunlight to be had. No matter the weather, there would be a raid, with the possible exception of extreme cases, which rarely occurred. Just now they were getting ready for another assault, particularly one mid-teenaged looking kit. The kit, now looking like a typical 15-year-old, stood among the sturdy branches of a tree, overseeing preparations.

"Hurry up, hurry up, move your asses! We don't have all damn day!" Her tail swung in anticipation.

The bandits grumbled, agitated by being bossed around by this pint-sized loudmouth. For whatever reason, she was always Youko's favorite, and it pissed them off a little bit. It was embarrassing, being led by a small fry decades younger than themselves. She was completely spoiled.

"Aw. Shaddup!" Someone spoke up.

"We're ready when we're ready!" No one made any effort to hurry.

" Goddamnit…" Natsumi cursed. Lazy old coots…she leaned back against the trunk, her locks draping over her face.

"Almost as treasure-starved as I am," An amused voice addressed her.

"Feh. Almost my ass." She leaped from the tree and summoned her sword, lashing out at her target. Youko was quick however, and already had his own his own Rose Whip out. The weapons were locked in a stalemate.

"I _do_ hope you weren't trying to catch me off guard," He smirked. They broke apart, only to have their instruments meet again.

"Of course not." Natsumi flipped over Youko, kicking him in the process. An attack that merely skimmed his skin, because he'd leapt to the right. He swung the whip, and she dodged, thorns making a small, but nevertheless nasty mark on her left arm. She hissed slightly at this, and grabbed the end of it, trying to land a kick on his gut this time. Again, she merely brushed him.

"Heh, not bad. But you still have a long way to go…" His whip caught her around the wrist, and he pulled her harshly back toward him. A flying kit. He released her, and the disgruntled Natsumi slid across the ground.

"Hunh. I was holding back." She lifted herself up, brushing the excess dirt off.

"Whatever you say," The kit's denial was entertaining to him. Such a hard-headed child.

Kitanaru approached them.

"Uh… are we going, or are you two just gonna go at it the whole damn day?"

Both withdrew sword and whip.

" Comiiiiing."

" What do you see?"

"Mmm….it's vague, but I can see a group just to the North of us, but I'm not sure how far."

"No worries there."

Natsumi's abilities had extended a bit farther than imagined, and it probably was a part of something bigger, though what that bigger something was no one knew yet. Sure she could sense things, but she had another, far less common ability. When she closed her eyes and concentrated, she would see things in the present, like the group of demons she was currently surveying. Unfortunately, the ability was limited, and so her 'visions' weren't too detailed, nor could she see things that were too far away. But it could be useful.

"Their clothes look too nice, and their weapons don't seem that cheap…they might be worth _something."_

"Well, I'd be neglecting my duties if I let anything of value slip past my sights. " Youko licked his fangs.

" Feh. This is ridiculous. Why the _hell_ are we relying on some whelp's 'vision?' For all we know, it could be totally wrong and a waste of our time." Some demon grumbled.

Natsumi shot him a dirty look.

" If you don't like it, get lost."

" Why you- -!"

" Enough. I haven't seen you come up with any _better_ ideas, my ignorant friend. What use do I have for _you? _"

The demon was silent after that.

They were on the hunt within the space of a few short moments, eager to catch up to their quarry. It was easy; the forests all seemed to be pretty much the same these days. Natsumi was among those in the lead. Her swordsmanship and speed had improved noticeably, although far from perfect. She was at least skilled enough to survive a match against Youko. Within half an hour, their victims were within eyesight. There were two of them. The first resembled a wolverine, his fur a deep shade of blue. One of his eyes matched his fur while the other was a dim gold color. Two small fangs protruded form his mouth. His outfit consisted of a green-tinted silk shirt with white pants, supported by an onyx belt. His boots were a moderate shade of brown. The second of the two looked like some type of wildcat, whose fur was a deep tan. On each side of his face were two short, thick whiskers. His malicious, calculating eyes were copper. Fangs even longer than those of the wolverines hung barely above his chin. He wore a dark-green outfit, which bore more than a little similarity to a kimono, except that it was lacking sleeves. Both, as so many other foolish demons before, were absorbed in conversation, and never acknowledged their stalkers. Both carried small sacks.

" Heh. That's ironic. Thieving from thieves," Kitanaru grinned.

" Do we really need this many people for two damn schmucks?" A new voice growled.

Kitanaru turned to look at the other bandit.

" Ah, Masami-chan. You decided to get off your ass for once."

Masami scowled at him.

" Bite me, windbag. I do more crap around here than you'll do in your lifetime."

She was clad in a tight black suit, that somewhat accented her curves, but not to an extreme degree (How unfortunate for any interested demons).

" Mmm…your anger kinda turns me on."

"….Shut up." They both went their separate ways among the group.

" I propose a contest," Youko started. " First one to kill them keeps the spoils."

There were eager murmurs at this suggestion, and the group stood at attention.

"Ready…" The demons began to push against each other, fighting to get to the front.

" Steady…" They pushed harder. Natsumi shoved her way through.

"Go!"

There was much hitting and quarreling among the potential claimants of the bounty. Natsumi made use of the demons as stepping stones, to their anger and annoyance. No one who tried managed to catch her though. She drew two swords, and led the way to battle.

"Hah…"

"What the hell's that?"

The wolverine wasn't able to turn in time, and this mistake cost him his head. Enraged, his partner leaped into the fight. Natsumi applied a brutal kick to the gut, then seized one of his legs and swung him into the thick trunk of the nearest tree. Upon contact, there was a horrible crackling sound, most likely his skull. And yet still, he rose, although slightly disoriented.

"Damn you! Bastards! Miserable thieves!"

Natsumi grinned. " You're a dumbass. You should probably run while you still have time. "

The other groaned.

" What the hell! He wasn't smart enough to flee before so he deserves to die!"

"Yeah!"

The feline shot Natsumi a contemptuous look.

"You miserable…" Before he could finish that though, someone thought end his life open with a series of large daggers; one in his head, one in his chest, and the others in his legs. There were cheers among the thieves. Shrugging, Natsumi tossed his corpse into the woods, only interested in her reward. In the sacks were hand-sized gems, and pearls the deepest tone of black. There were also fine silks of blue and gray, and the standard gold and silver pieces. Natsumi pondered how to get her treasure out of there, paying no mind to the glares she was receiving behind her back. Natsumi finally decided to just take one of the sacks with her. Less junk to carry back.

" I got my share." She grinned at the group. As soon as the remainder of the goods had been apportioned, (on a first-come, first serve basis, which for awhile resulted in some violence among the bandits, until Youko threatened to do away with the troublemakers) they headed back in the opposite direction.

"Geez…animals."

OOOOO

The whole camp was in high spirits by nightfall. None of them were too modest about drunkenness and public fornication. Natsumi still didn't understand the fun in it, nor would she for a long long time if Youko had anything to say about it. She'd been "schooled" in such matters though.

" yawn Every night, same damn thing. These old bums are so boooring."

She passed by the others, ignoring the demons either looking for pleasure or already being serviced. Even Kitanaru seemed to be distracted by some aqua-haired woman. Curious, she stopped to observe for a little while until an annoyed Kitanaru shooed her away. Nothing else happened for a while, so she just roamed around the bonfire, swiping whatever food captured her attention. It was then that she saw the large group of women further into the woods, to her an irritating mass of giggles. A blonde, a red-head with white streaks, a raven-haired one, a pink haired one, and a dark blue haired woman, all with revealing garments that matched their hair color. All of their outfits were two pieces, and all of them revealed both stomach and cleavage, which didn't come as any kind of shock to Natsumi. Finishing off the remainder of the food, she approached them for a closer examination. They were all chattering and "fixing themselves up," although whatever their objective was didn't seem to be there. Their acknowledgement of Natsumi's presence was a series of annoyed glares.

" What the hell do you want runt?"

" Yeah, beat it. We're working here. Go eat dirt or something."

" Hey, isn't that that little witch I've heard all the stories about?"

" They say hardly any women will come here anymore because of _her."_

The demoness with the blue hair was skeptical.

" No way, this skinny little nothing! She's just a baby, for God sake! What are they afraid of?"

There were murmurs among the five.

" Feh. Whatever I am, it's better than being some worthless, brainless whore."

The pink-haired one shot her a nasty look.

" I think you'd better watch what you say to your elders."

"Your _betters."_

" How_ dare_ that whelp talk to us like that? I have half a mind to put her in her place."

"Buzz off!"

Many jeers from the women ensued, throwing insults to the mere "child" that stood defiantly parallel to them. The blonde approached Natsumi. She was followed closely by the red-head. The blonde's mean blue eyes focused upon the kit, a look of both amusement and disgust hardly concealed. Upon her right eye was a long, thin gash which ended just above her nose. It wasn't the first time she'd encountered Natsumi.

" Why the hell does a kid care so much about such matters, I wonder?" She smirked.

" You wouldn't meddle so much if you didn't want him, your damn self. How cute." Her voice had a sharper, nastier tone to it. The others snickered. Akina detested the little bitch since the day she'd jumped her, all those years ago.

Natsumi shot her a cold look.

"Feh, why would I waste my time just to _beg_ him to take my sorry ass, like other wenches I know? I've got better ways to spend my time."

Akina scowled back. She really wanted to simply choke the wretch and be done with it. She maintained her composure however, and moved closer, so that she could catch Natsumi's chin in her hands. She tightened her grip as much as possible.

" Poor dumb kit. I forgive you..." Natsumi smacked her hand away with as much force as possible. The twit was really kinda pissing her off now. But it wasn't worth her time. She turned away from them, meaning to get the hell out of here.

" Whatever. Have fun parading your ugly tits."

" Yeah, that's right. Do us all a favor and go back to whatever whore of a mother it was that was unfortunate enough to be knocked up with _you. _

" Freak."

Natsumi froze, a manic glint in her eye.

Things had already started to settle down back at the main camp, and so the inhabitants were able to hear several loud voices some distance away. It was far more like _shrieking. _Many of them walked back to investigate the matter, and were treated to quite an unusual sight. Natsumi was punching and clawing at Akina, and anyone of the others who attempted to pry her off.

" Fucking witch!" A kick to the ribs.

" You annoying bitch! Get the hell off!" All of the others had some bruises or cuts as a consequence of both participating in the mockery of Natsumi, and later trying to jump her. One made the mistake of seizing Natsumi around the waist. It was the ebony-haired woman.

" Go back to hell, you miserable little shit!" Natsumi's fist connected with her mouth as she used the other hand to hold Akina around the throat. She could see a few teeth and some blood through the corner of her eye.

"Aaaarrrrgh!"

The red head tried to wrap her shawl around Natsumi's throat, only to be kneed in the stomach, down for the count.

None of the men made any effort to interfere. The situation was too amusing.

" This is the funniest damn thing I've ever seen!"

" Hahahahahaha! Look at her go! Waste 'em!"

" Good God, she's more violent than I thought!"

" This is a bad thing? We're vicious demons, what the hell do ya expect?"

" I bet 500 gold pieces on the kit."

The fighters paid no mind to the conversations; there were far more pressing matters to attend to at this time. Dignity and humiliation, for instance. The demonesses, wearing out by now, were still not prepared to surrender to the dominion of the rabid kitsune. They leaped, intending to dog pile Natsumi, and hopefully cripple her, getting rid of the problem once and for all. There was a pile all right. One agonized group of women lying near or right over each other, after being dealt several rapid "knuckle sandwiches, bites, scratches, and other wounds from the seemingly unstoppable Natsumi. The war still raged on between said kit and Akina however. In the meantime, the demons catcalled and jeered, the majority of the camp still sober enough having become spectators in this event.

" What the hell is this? Why's everyone hanging around here?" Kitanaru demanded, before he got a glimpse of the vicious spectacle before his eyes.

" ….what in God's name…?"

" Hehe. No idea myself old buddy, they were at it when I showed up."

" It's all good, though."

" Bloody hell, she just goes on and on and on!"

Kitanaru's attention returned to the present scene just in time to see Natsumi's fist find a place on Akina's eye. She then took advantage of the pause to headbutt the demoness. Pouncing at the opportunity the dazed Akina provided, Natsumi wrapped her hands around her throat, preparing for the victorious finale to this show. Before she could successfully choke her however, a pair of arms seized her around the waist and roughly lifted her up. Kitanaru's grip merely tightened as Natsumi fought him.

" Alright already! You're gonna kill her!"

" That was the fuckin' point!" Natsumi roared, feeling more belligerent than ever now that she was stopped when she was so close to winning.

" C'mon!" Kitanaru could only hold her for so long. The kit was surprisingly strong, especially for a female.

" Take a good look at her. Don't ya think you've done enough to her? I mean, she ain't getting' _nobody_ looking like _that." _He gestured to Akina's two black eyes, shattered nose, and many, many lacerations. Her breathing was shallow, somewhere in there Natsumi might have broken a rib or two. Predictably, she could barely even move now. Natsumi elbowed him, not holding back, which freed her from her imprisonment. Kitanaru knelt on the ground, taking deep gasps of air.

"Damn it!"

" What's going on here?"

Youko entered the clearing opposite to where the spectators stood. He approached the still fuming Natsumi and the wincing Akina, who had only just seconds before found the strength to sit up. Natsumi had begun to kick at Akina, who could only feebly scratch at her in return now, but with the same fierce hatred. He grabbed her wrist, not painfully hard, but enough to yank her away a little.

" Cool it. I think you've given her enough to think about."

Natsumi turned, and without so much as a second glance, punched him dead in the face.

OOOOO

" Ow! Damn it, is it broken?" Youko swore as he held a large bunch of cloth to his nose.

" Hahahhahah! She got you dead on! Pow! Right in your pretty face!" Kitanaru laughed hysterically at his partner's misfortune.

They'd retired back to Youko's tent after the incident to "repair the damages." Of course, the wounded demonesses had left as soon as possible, with a bitter Akina vowing revenge. Natsumi approached them with some more cloth, holding some more up to the older, now soaked ones.

" Ehehehe…sorry about that. I totally didn't see you. I thought you were another one of those fuckin' tramps." Her expression turned dark for a split second, before falling back into a weak smile. The other two noticed it.

" Which reminds me, " Youko began, addressing Natsumi now. He leaned back and allowed her to hold up the cloth for awhile. " Why were trying to murder my entertainment?"

Natsumi snorted. " You call those idiot bimbos entertainments? Please. If you wanted something to do, ya should have just come to _me. "_

Youko and Kitanaru shared the smallest of smirks.

" After all this time, you still don't understand, do ya?"

Natsumi growled. " Of course I do, and I think I could do a better job." She checked Youko's nose again. It was still bleeding, but not nearly as much.

Kitanaru snickered. " _What_ exactly do you think you can do better?"

" Never mind that now," Youko interrupted. " I'd still like to know how these events came to be." He looked at Natsumi expectantly, like a parent busting their mischievous child who was up to no good..

Natsumi shifted slightly where she sat on the bed. She was un-repentant.

" They had it coming. You can't possibly expect a member of your band to take insults from the likes of them, can you? I'd gladly do it again." She spat these words with an extreme vehemence.

Youko sighed in exasperation. " Kit, do you realize, _you're_ the reason I'm lonely at night now. Are you _trying _to make my life a living hell?

" Boo-hoo, good riddance. You had _me_ to share your bed. What the hell's the big deal about losing 'them?'"

" Again, young one, you're too naive."

" More like dumb- Ow! Hey!" Natsumi slapped Kitanaru without a hint of compassion.

"I don't like being told off like some child, it really irks me. Especially standing there and getting dissed by 'them.'"

" I can understand that, but you still went too far. At least try to get a hold of your…tendencies now and then, will you? I'm tired of chasing after a woman because she's scared of _you_." He looked at Natsumi pointedly.

"Well you don't have too. There's one right here," Natsumi grinned.

" A _grown _woman, if you please." Natsumi scowled at him.

" I _am _grown." She removed her arm from the wound again. It was no longer bleeding, but a moderately large black mark remained just off center to the left on Youko's nose. He lightly ran a finger over it.

" Ow! God damn it!"

" Might wanna put something on that, lest you be laughed out of camp."

" Thanks a lot. That idea never would have occurred to me. I'll put some ointment on it later."

" Too bad. Guess now you really won't get any action, what with that boulder on your face."

" Get out."

Kitanaru obliged, still having a hearty laugh at Youko's expense. Natsumi moved to sit right next to Youko. There was a very pregnant, awkward silence between the two.

" Feh. I'm fine now. It's not as if I've been mortally wounded or something of the sort. Besides, I'm hungry as well." He smirked as he followed Natsumi's lustful gaze toward a bowl of fruit on a nearby table.

" Help yourself." Those were the only magic words she needed; in a matter of seconds she was devouring an apple.

" You seem to weaken me for some reason, but I think you know that. Brat." He shoved her head sideways. She latched onto his arm.

" Hehehe….but you love me. More than 'them' right? Right?" Her grip tightened.

" Urm… yeah, sure. Whatever you say."

Natsumi held onto him tighter than ever, a wide smile on her lips. It made her look as adorably childish as ever. She lifted Youko from the bed with relative ease.

" Let's move our asses. I'm starving!"

Okay, so I lied, the story doesn't freakin' end at Chapter 10, as you can tell. I just keep coming up with more and more crap, and so it goes on and on and on….sweatdrop But I can at least promise you that there_will_ be an ending, I swear. I want to thank every single person who's reviewed the story so far, and even those of you out there who aren't reviewing. Hope you're reading anyway. Please, don't stop the reviews! I really really enjoy/look forward to them! I will work my ass off to get the rest of this story up, even in my upcoming battle against ACTs/ finals shudders Anyway, see ya!

P.S. again: My school totally sucks!


	11. Bitter Affections

Hey guys! Wow, can't believe I actually made it to chapter 11 so far! Normally I would have quit by now. takes huge swig of soda That's good stuff…Uh sorry, that's beyond the point. Anyway, for those who've hung around, especially those who've followed from the beginning…it's been a long, _long _trip (my bad, sorry lol). Don't know what else to say, but you guys are sooooo nice. I wish there was as much support at my school as in the fanfic/online community!

"Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis/Flahbacks

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

" You seem to weaken me for some reason, but I think you know that. Brat." He shoved her head sideways. She latched onto his arm.

" Hehehe….but you love me. More than 'them' right? Right?" Her grip tightened.

" Urm… yeah, sure. Whatever you say."

Natsumi held onto him tighter than ever, a wide smile on her lips. It made her look as adorably childish as ever. She lifted Youko from the bed with relative ease.

" Let's move our asses. I'm starving!"

Chapter 11: Bitter Affections

" Why do they keep staring at me like that?"

" You're a good-lookin' piece of meat. Why _wouldn't _they stare?"

It was "free-time" for the bandits, and a grown- up kit and Kitanaru decided to hit the nearest bar with the best tasting booze. As a seventeen-year old vixen, Natsumi had seen herself as old enough to start indulging in such vices, and no one felt the need to interject. Why would a bunch of thieves want to play parent? It was none of their concern if she went out, got drunk, and got into some mess.

" Yeah, I know I'm cute, but it still gets on my nerves. I don't like them staring at me like that… it makes me uncomfortable."

"What would you have me do?" Kitanaru smirked. "Cut out their eyes?"

"If they wanna keep leering at me, then yes, that sounds like a fine idea."

" Whatever. Just ignore it for now, unless some bastard actually tries to cop a feel.. This I doubt since you have nothing to offer…" He motioned to her seemingly flat chest.

" Shut up. I have to cover 'em up, don't I?" Natsumi took a large gulp of beer. It was her third mug of the day, and yet she showed no signs of tipsiness or drunkenness. She set it down then changed her mind, picked it up again and took another swig before slamming it back down.

She burped lightly. "God that's good stuff."

" You're such a damn boozehound. How completely unladylike."

" I'm lady enough thank you." She rested her head on her right arm. " More ladylike than those damn whores. I can't believe that after all this bloody time, Youko still wants 'em. Doesn't he ever get tired?"

"Is that bitter jealousy I hear?" Kitanaru stifled a laugh.

" I have no clue what the hell you're talking about."

" I bet you really _want_ to be one of Youko's "floozies." He couldn't hold it back any longer. Natsumi scowled at his laughter.

Natsumi stood quickly. " THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID!"

The whole bar glanced briefly at her, and she sat down again.

" Why would I want to walk around with my boobs exposed, just so I can have him jump me! Please. I'm not _that_ eager to explore…" She took another drink of beer. "Hey, bartender! Anotha' round now!"

' Anotha'….?"

" I think you've had enough for now…"

" I'll tell you when I've had enough! I feel fine, all right! All right!"

" Fine, fine, you're alright. But we should go. I think you're starting to attract too many new "friends.."

An evil grin spread across Natsumi's face.

" I'll just have to go play with 'em, then, won't I?" Both thieves left the bar, looking behind their shoulders now and then to see if anyone was following. Their "friends" had also left the bar.

" Heeey, baby! Looking for a good time?"

" How's about we give ya the ride of your life? You look like you're into the rough stuff, sweetie."

Both looked like hybrids of a lizard and some sort of feline. Their green skin was coated by a thin fur (green mixed with grey and white), and their heads definitely looked like a lizard's, except for their bright yellow eyes, with the thinnest slit for a pupil. Those had more of the look of whatever feline ancestor had existed in their bloodline. Their hair was a grayish-black; one had a Mohawk and his brother had slightly longer hair tied in a lose ponytail. Both of them wore filthy gray fighter's outfits. The one with the pony tail carried a spear.

" I promise you'll like it, cutie," said the demon with the mohawk as he licked his lips. He was curious to know what her body looked like under there.

" Not interested. Why don't you go find someone else to "ride," and get out of my goddamn face." With these words, Natsumi moved on.

Both demons laughed mean-spiritedly.

" Aww…don't be that way. Besides, what the hell can a woman do…?"

The one with a mohawk jumped in front of her, and his brother grabbed her from behind, running a hand over her body. Kitanaru leaned back against a tree. He knew this situation was no big deal, he just had to keep an eye on her just in case, or Youko would skin him alive (If he was fortunate).

" Feh. You should just loosen up, babe. Make it more fun for _all_ of us." His brother smirked. He sniffed her.

" Mmm...You have a nice scent" The demon in front of her approached.

" Heh. Kinda young if you ask me, but whatever---" She kicked him in the neck, and elbowed his partner in the mouth, sending several teeth down his throat. When she was free she sent the demon parallel to her off with a "farewell" punch, and he landed head first in the ground.

He held his head in a weak attempt to stem the blood flow.

" You…bitch!"

He stood up again, she kicked him in the groin, and kneed him in the chin. He didn't get up again after that. His partner finally decided to attempt an attack while Natsumi's back was turned. He brought forth his double-ended spear, swinging as he charged.

" You miserable whore!"

Natsumi stood where she was, back still turned away from her enemy, not blessing him with any recognition.

The demon smirked.

"Idiot … See you in hell!"

At the last moment before the spear found its target, Natsumi whirled around, sword drawn. It hit the demon's shoulder blade, causing it to burst open, a piñata of blood and tissue descending to the ground. He howled and cursed endlessly.

" Heh. Piece of shit. Lucky I didn't feel like gutting ya for being such an ass- wipe."

She smirked slightly.

" Now take your bastard friend and get the hell out of here." She walked away from the scene, leaving a speechless and severely injured demon behind. Kitanaru caught up to her when they were out of the sight of the demons.

"Good God, you're even as masochistic as our 'great leader.'"

" Ehehe. Well it's more fun to beat the hell out of them."

" Yup, almost a carbon –copy…." Kitanaru muttered to himself.

" Hm? Carbon-copy of what?"

" Nothing, it's nothing."

"Well, whatever. Are we there yet?"

The camp had just barely come within their eyesight.

" You _know_ we're almost there! Stop asking that every time we go out!"

" Hehehe…stop getting so pissed off every time we go out."

They were back among the semi-organized throng, most of them already immersed in some of the evening activities, now that it was dusk. Natsumi swiped a meat bun and a bottle of wine from someone.

"Hey! Goddamn you!"

"Thief!" This received some chuckles.

Natsumi paid to mind to these outbursts as she weaved her way through the ruckus, snatching everything she wanted. She finally found a place on a dilapidated log near the fire. It had always been a favorite spot of hers.

"Excuse me. Gangway…Move it or lose it." Finally grabbing a place on the log, she spotted a very juicy, very tempting pound of beef that appeared to have just finished roasting. Licking her fangs in anticipation, she let her arm roam across the fire to grab the delicious prize. Her hand brushed someone else's, however.

"We have the same tastes, I see."

Youko smirked at her from across the fire. Natsumi's grip tightened, refusing to surrender the meat.

" Damn shame," She grinned. At the moment, Youko's hand rested on hers, but neither seemed to notice.

"I do hope you didn't want that 'cause I ain't giving it up so easily." It was now that she noticed their hands. A strange feeling passed over her, but it went by too quickly to ponder.

" Tch. Guess we'll have to fight for it."

" You're on, if you can take it." Their battle was interrupted by a female's voice calling Youko's name. A woman with hair a faint color of blue approached, taking a seat as close as possible to Youko. She wore a kimono the same color as her azure locks.

" Hi lover," She purred, her fangs exposed as she grinned, rubbing up against the object of her affections.

" Heh…what took you, love?" He definitely wasn't opposed to the extra attention. She played with her tresses. Youko's hand retreated from Natsumi's.

"Well, I wanted to look my best," she giggled, climbing into his lap. Natsumi's stomach turned. What a sickening scene...it was always sickening. It was just so idiotic the way the women fawned over Youko and the way he'd return it. With every… last… woman.

' It's his choice. Whatever…' She took a swig of the wine, and watched the pair French-kiss, both looking as if they were trying to devour one another's faces. Natsumi could only stare as it erupted into a make-out session, with both demons pawing at one another like there was no tomorrow. Natsumi curled up in the log, her chin now touching her knees. Oh brother.

" God, if your tongues were any further down each other's throats you'd choke each other."

The whore looked up, as if seeing Natsumi for the first time. She frowned at her.

"Instead of making those 'cute' remarks, why don't _you _go put _your _tongue down someone's throat. You look like you need it."

" Because it's disgusting, and I'm not giving it away to every dumb fox that comes along. Hmph." She turned her head away.

' What'd I do to deserve that? ' Youko thought to himself.

" I bet you only say that, because nobody wants a chick who's flat-chested and big-mouthed. How unattractive. Everyone knows tits are in." She rubbed her breasts against Youko for emphasis.

" Ain't that right, baby?"

" Ehh…yeah." ' Damn straight' " I suppose they're nice to have."

Before the conversation could progress, several other members of the band joined them, unsurprisingly Kitanaru among them.

" Oooh. What's this, a catfight?"

The others began cheering for a little "girl-on-girl action."

"Let's get it oooon!"

" How about just settling your differences with a nude mud-fight?"

There was a deafening outburst of cheers and jeers at this. Even Youko took his time protesting against the idea.

Natsumi scowled, a vein pulsing. "All of you go to hell."

"Aw, don't be that way."

"Give us a treat!"

"Be nice to us and we'll be nice to youuu…."

"NO! Knock it off!" Natsumi was completely embarrassed.

Instead of the jovial air, there was one of bitterness and disappointment now, but they got over it fairly quickly. Kitanaru, finding his own meal, took a seat to Natsumi's immediate left. He put a friendly arm around the vixen.

" Aw, don't worry about it…I'll take good care of you.," He said into her ear. " You know you can always count on your sugar da—"

He was rendered dazed and confused by a double assault by two angry kitsune.

" Wheeeee….Faster mommy, faster!"

"Feh. Dumbass." Natsumi turned away from Kitanaru to see the demoness clinging to Youko harder than ever.

' This is so _stupid_,' she thought to herself. 'Get a fucking room. No one wants to see that.'

Having had her fill (in more ways than one), Natsumi rose.

" Where are _you_ going? The party's barely started," Youko questioned.

" It's the same damn thing every night. What's there to miss? I don't feel so hot, so I'm gonna go walk around or something. You've got _her_ to keep you company, anyway."

There was something faintly ominous in the way she addressed him, but he brushed it off. He turned back to his current company as Natsumi walked off into the forest, far from the bonfire.

OOOOO

Natsumi prowled the desolate forest area, looking for nothing in particular. It had been at least an hour or so since she left, and nightfall was here. She could already see the stars…she found this time of day relaxing. It was _almost_ perfect.

" Damn, why the hell does my head hurt so much? Kinda feel light-headed too.." She held her head, looking up again. The moonlight revealed something glimmering just ahead.

" What's that?" She approached closely, to find a small body of water.

" Ahhhh! A spring! Damn good timing, too." She paused and took a long look around, sniffing at the air.

" Thank the Gods, no one's aroooound." She commented in a sing-song voice. She shed her clothes immediately.

" Cannonbaaaall!" She dove underwater, briefly exploring the shallow depths of the spring. After a minute she emerged for air.

"Ahhh…God, this feels great! The crappy feeling's almost gone already!" She brushed sopping bangs from her eyes, feeling around until she found a partially submerged boulder to rest on. She leaned back against another, far larger one and closed her eyes, letting sleep take over for the time being. Her rest was disturbed by a rustling sound moving closer. Natsumi barely had time to conceal herself in the shadows before Youko appeared, having apparently dismissed the demoness for now. He whistled some unfamiliar tune as he stripped, still unaware of a second presence in the spring. Natsumi was too stunned to turn away from the sight before her.

" O—O my Gods! That can't be real! It's too big! Far bigger than what they told me! No wonder he's the bloody leader!" She grasped her chest with one hand and covered her eyes with the other. It proved to be impossible to keep from sneaking a glance, however.

" Eeeep." She backed slowly toward the edge of the spring, though her eyes were still on Youko.

A sudden thought crossed her mind.

' Wait a minute…maybe…' She turned around, making no more effort to hide herself. The movements finally caught Youko's attention. He looked around suspiciously, moving back through the water as swiftly as possible, ready to kill any intruders. He bumped into something in the process. It was more like _two _'somethings.'

"….? Heh… you should have told me you'd be joining me, babe." He smirked, turning around expecting to see the demoness from before but finding…

" Eh? Natsumi, what the hell!" He was face to face with two medium sized, plump breasts. He'd seen larger, but still…And they were only inches away from touching his chest…He snapped himself out of the stupor before things could get worse.

" Hi…" She made no effort to cover herself. Kurama had no idea exactly how the hell he felt about this. It was a very good view, though…

' God damn it.'

" Ur…hey. Nice to see you all, no I mean nice to see all of you…Damn it!"

It was wrong, _wrong_ to look at her that way, not when he'd raised her for so long. It was like looking at a younger sister. But they weren't related…

Natsumi stared t him questioningly, wondering about the series of expressions crossing the kitsune's face.

"Something wrong? You seem tense. I could rub your back or something."

" No, no, nothing's the melon-er matter. But what brings you out here?"

Natsumi brushed some hair away and stretched.

' My God, how did such a small kit end up with _that _kind of rack? Oh God, it's happening again…'

" Well, I was feeling ill, and though a nice spring might be a good idea. And it was." She smiled. Youko would have lost it had it not been for his admirable amount of self-control and grace. Her smiles, although sort of childish were always pretty to him…it was something about the innocence that attracted him. It made her look especially beautiful now that she was older…and had filled out more...

" I wanted to talk about something with you…" Her eyes were downcast, her head bent.

He bent slightly, and lifted her head. Her eyes turned so serious so quickly that it concerned him. Something about the way she stood there so innocently before him, hair soaked to the bone with that nervous, vulnerable expression sent a wave of pleasure through him. He was careful not to let this happen again. He backed away ever so slightly from her.

"You don't need _my_ permission to speak your mind. However…I think this is a rather awkward place to do so. He turned to go back for his clothes.

"I'-I'm repulsive to you, aren't I? That's why you won't look at me."

Youko stopped and turned to look at her again.

" …Why would you say something like that, Tsumi-chan?"

"It's just that if one of those…_women_ were here, you'd be all over her, and yet you don't seem to like what you see right now …"

"That's not true. I've never been disgusted by you."

'If only you knew half of the things running through my mind right now…'

" You've grown up to be a very attractive woman, in more ways than one of course.":

" Then why can't I be with you as well?"

" Because that's only what you _think _you want. I know you; you want attention, that's all. Not a mate. Anyway, you're too young to understand what you're getting yourself into. You may have grown older, but you're still naïve about a lot of things. "

"I am not!" He silenced her by brushing his lips against her cheek He had to admit, it was so soft, and surprisingly smooth. The kit took care of herself. Natsumi was frozen to the spot. This felt awkward, strange, and…nice. She stifled an unexpected giggle that rose up when his lips tickled her cheek. Unfortunately, he pulled back after a few seconds.

"…"

" Feeling better yet ? I can't have a depressed kit leading one of _my_ groups on a raid."

She did look far more relaxed than just moments before.

"…You might not want me, but I'm still the best right? None of those bitches could carry out a theft like me, right?"

"You know damn well they couldn't."

A weak smile crossed her face. Something deep down still didn't feel quite right, but she dismissed it, thinking it was just nerves after that display of affection.

"We should go back before we're caught here and they get ideas…."

"….Yeah. You go on…I think I'll just go walk around some more…'night."

"Good night."

Youko kept watching until Natsumi was no longer within his range of sight. Then he glared down at the organ protruding from between his legs. The bastard was still stiff. He hoped to God Natsumi hadn't seen that.

"…Shit."

"Good god, are you checking _yourself_ out? I swear you'll be the first guy to rape himself."

"You moron. How do you keep _finding _me?"

Kitanaru stripped and joined Youko.

" Luck?"

"For who?"

"Hehe. Oh." It seemed Kitanaru had just remembered something important.

" _Women hiding from some fun over there, take precaution and beware, but hideous and unsporting we are not, these willing men are way too hot!_" Kitanaru grinned after the end of this little rhyme.

" Guess there weren't any over there."

"And what the hell was that? Have you been inhaling some kind of drug?"

" I just felt like being creative. I think I should write."

" I think you should get help."

" Grouchy? Not enough beddin' for you yet?"

" Bugger off."

" Heh. So there was more to that little scene than I thought."

" Were you eavesdropping!"

"No, no, I just came by to take a tip and just happened to overhear a lover's argument."

" We're not lovers and exactly how much did you see…?" He was fully prepared to slaughter the boy if he was ogling the kit.

" Relax. Pretty much nothing at all. From where I was standing, all I could see was your hairy back.

" …For your information, the only hair I have is on my head, you little imbecile."

" Relax, jeez. Though I'd expect you to be grouchy, because you just brushed off a hot woman, not to mention a hot one that..."

"That what?"

" You haven't noticed it yet? How could you not? It's sooo obvious."

" Are you going to tell me what the hell you speak of?"

" Feh, if she doesn't notice it herself, then why should you? Dense kitsune. She's obsessed with you."

" Is this what this conversation's about? You waste my time. She's just after my attention … so she's angry because I spend so much time with my…special friends."

" Dude, she wanted you to see her naked. I think it's a little more than that."

" Have you forgotten how painfully naive she is despite her front? She hasn't a clue about the real world… and why the hell am I talking about this with _you_!"

" …Because talking is the first step to a solution?" Kitanaru found himself dunked underwater.

" Enough of this crap." He had gone when Kitanaru emerged.

" The man has issues."

OOOOO

It had only been a few hours since the first signs of dawn appeared, so many of the bandits were still sleeping in. Very few were early risers unless there was something big in it for them. Their leader was one of the few who could, if the treasure was good enough, but at the moment he was still asleep in his bed. Two identical sisters lie on either side of him, their wine-colored hair cushioning their heads. After a while Youko's eyes finally opened, and he stumbled toward the exit to the tent, temporarily blinded by the sunlight. After a few moments of stretching, yawning and blinking, he dragged himself off toward the very spring he'd encountered Natsumi at. He emerged after a short while, a little more alert. The quiet of the camp was disrupted a little bit as some of the minority early risers woke up. Youko was on his way back to send the women off when he felt two hands cover his eyes.

"Heh. Guess who, scoundrel."

"Mmmm...That sexy voice…is it you, Meiko? Or maybe Salya? I know, you're Sayaka? Tsunai?"

"…How many wenches do you know…?"

" …Kirai? Iriko…? …Misuka?"

"Cut it out." Youko found himself in a tight headlock, although he could see again. His attacker latched her legs around his hips. A guilty little pleasure wave forced its way through again.

"You know damn well who it is." Natsumi slid off of him, her leg brushing his tail in the process.

" Yeah, I know who it is." He feigned disappointment.

" Admit it. I'm better than your wildest dream."

"…so she says. Do you come for a purpose or just to harass poor old me?"

" Believe it or not, I came for a reason." She stopped speaking as a noisy group of demons passed by, then continued when she saw them pass.

" I kinda wanted to apologize for last night. I've been feeling really weird lately and I guess I must have taken it out on you. I didn't want you angry at me or anything, so just forget it happened, 'kay?"

"Wait a minute. What do you mean " feeling weird?" Are you ill?"

" Nah, nah, nothing like that. I just feel out of it, that's all. Don't worry, you won't lose the best thief in your group."

" That's a relief. I've been _sooo _worried."

" Heh. I'm gonna go grab something, so I'll catch ya later!"

"Wait--!" She was already gone.

' Boy, when those hormones hit, they hit _hard…'_

Natsumi lie down on her bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. She didn't have any really strong thoughts at the moment, save for those of the awkward conversations with Youko.

'I don't even get why I'm feeling this way. Maybe I _am _ill… Ehh…maybe I'll go talk to Kita-kun or something…' Can't sit around all day…

The said demon was lounging near the river, slumped against a tree in sort of a 'drunken pose.' Natsumi pondered the best way to get his attention. She finally decided to pace back and forth over his midriff.

"Ouch! Hey, knock it off damn it!"

The trampling ceased.

"Next time just shake me or _call me_ or something."

"You sleep like a freakin' rock."

" Not my problem." He leaned forward a little. "Whaddya want, anyway?"

She sat down beside him.

" I just felt like talking, ok?" She rested her head against his shoulder, and he leaned back again.

" Whatever then. But are ya really sure _I'm_ the one you want to be with?" He nudged her playfully.

" Ehhh….? What kind of crap are you bringing up _now?" _

" …You'll figure it out yourself soon enough, although it's pretty damn clear _now_."

"What is?"

" Nevermind…" He muttered under his breath. " Maybe she's acting this way because she's in heat? No way, is that it…? I dunno…hard to tell with this one…"

Natsumi stared at him as if she were speaking to a lunatic.

"Weirdo…"

He focused on her again. " Hehe..Sorry. My bad, my bad."

They sat there for a few minutes, staring out across the river.

"…."

"You seem like you have something on your mind. Care to share?"

'Though I bet I know what it is…'

" Nah, it's nothing really. No worries." She stood up.

"….? Well you don't have to leave right this instant. I don't need to get rid of you _that _badly."

" I know, I know. _You'd _never reject me, right…? Her eyes turned slightly cold for one unpleasant instant.

"…What the hell brought this on?"

"…Would you?"

" Urm, no…? Are you feeling alright?"

' Yup, she's a jealous one all right. I can't believe he hasn't noticed this…if he doesn't notice soon, this will turn out badly.'

Natsumi's chipper expression returned.

" Yeah, I'm fine…Catch you later!"

" Hey, where ya going!" No response.

" Women…Sheesh."

OOOOO

Daylightwas already fading into nightfall. Natsumi had spent the majority of the day lounging around the camp, although she hadn't encountered Youko again. She hadn't felt like going anywhere this time. She loved the raids, but even she needed a break now and then. Strolling through random areas of the camp, she amused herself by observing the rowdiness all around.

' Don't these fools get tired of this?' Not paying too much attention to her surroundings, she inevitably collided with someone.

" Oww! Why don't you watch where the hell you're going?"

It was one of the sisters Youko had been with that morning, obviously not satisfied with being discarded so quickly. She sat there as if expecting Natsumi to grovel and rush to help her up.

"…Sorry." There was a distinctly apathetic tone in Natsumi's voice. She passed the woman.

"Excuse me, aren't you forgetting something!" To Natsumi, the demoness acted as if being a whore was a position of power.

" I'd have thought you bimbos at least had the brains to learn how to stand up. But I guess the bigger the boobs the smaller the brain." She left the woman where she sat, pouting and fuming.

" Hey y'all!" She greeted the inhabitants of the camp " The iron-fist kit has arrived." A chorus of boos and jeers answered her.

" Feh. You may be a nice-looking kit, but you're not _that_ great of a fighter. Guess it's that vanity streak you picked up."

" Bite me. I'm just as skilled, no _more _skilled than all you bums. Even that silver-haired bum." She grinned.

The others jeered some more at this.

"Bullshit!"

" You arrogant brat! He'd kill even you for saying such a thing."

" It's _wrong_ to tell such lies without any sort of base."

" I love the way you fools react. Speaking of our dear friend, where is he?"

"You've been here long enough, take a guess."

" Mmm...Seems to have doubled his load lately."

"Probably tryin' to break his own record."

" Let him starve, then. His loss, I guess."

" Guess he had an appetite for something else."

Natsumi leaned back, draping her legs over the log in front of her and shutting her eyes.

"Don't you people have other crap to do! It's always women women women! Why's it so fun to be with women all the time!"

"She serious?"

"Looks it."

"How can anyone be so _clueless?"_

"She's female, whaddya expect?"

Natsumi scowled. She stood up and walked back toward her tent. Once back there again, she collapsed on the bed, her closest friend at the moment. She burrowed into the covers, a bit comforting but still a little lonely all the same. As her dreams stopped occurring so often, so the nights she slept with Youko ended.

'I kinda miss it…' She fell into a deep sleep.

Several days passed where Natsumi never saw Youko but it wasn't a big deal. She had her own thefts to deal with. She'd even been made the leader of her own group, which despite all protest proved to be a wise decision. None of the men would admit her strength and skill in the 'art.' They'd just returned from a robbery of a chateau within fifteen or twenty miles of the camp. The sun was just setting.

" Ah, look at all this junk. We'll be rich!"

" We _are_ rich, dummy."

"Not rich enough."

"Ahh…these attacks always put me at peace…"

Natsumi spoke up. "Let's not forget who you owe your victory to," She smirked. Everyone else groaned.

" You're not that bad kid, but you've still got a hell of a way to go."

" If you ask me, women shouldn't even be involved in these activities. They should be back at camp fixing our meals and making love to us.'

Several others grunted in agreement. Natsumi rolled her eyes.

" What fun is there in that? Besides, what's 'making love?' exactly?"

They stared at each other.

" No one's claimed you yet?"

" She' a virgin. I'll be damned."

They gathered around her.

"Hehe. Maybe we should go for some drinks and talk about it."

"Back off. I thought of it first!"

"Sooo!"

"I'll take care of ya, girlie."

"Have you all forgotten what I've said about this issue before?" A new voice piped up. "Lay one hand on her and you'll lose parts of your body that you'll miss later on…"

The demons looked around in panic.

" Y-ya heard him! Back away from the girl!" They didn't need to be told twice.

"We wasn't doin' nothin', boss!"

The speaker laughed. Kitanaru forced his way into the group.

"What'd you think of my imitation?" Everyone booed and made threats against him

" Damn it, Kitanaru! Almost wet my pants…"

" Get a life, will ya?"

"Heh…guess you all didn't like it so much…"

Natsumi wandered away from the group, bored of this silly talk. She wandered into the deeper parts of the forest, where it was slightly darker, and there was nothing round. By the time she did hear something, the sky had turned a darker shade of blue. Searching for the source of the noise, she came to a small clearing, far smaller than the one where the camp rested. There was Youko with a woman, and it was apparent he was _very _busy at the moment. She observed with shock and utter fascination as he pressed the woman up against a tree, his knee between her legs and her arms around his neck. Her breasts were pressed against his chest. Youko grabbed one of these, and Natsumi didn't understand why he was playing with it, but it made the woman moan. His lips collided with hers as the hand moved from her breast down to her rear and ultimately under the skimpy dark read mini-dress she wore. That was the only feature Natsumi noticed about the woman.

'Wow… I can do something like that.' Something about the scene before her eyes sent a shudder through her whole body. The two kept at it, faster and faster until they just stopped, resting in that position for several moments. It must have been then that Youko noticed Natsumi, for he dismissed the woman, who shot Natsumi a dirty look as she stalked off in the opposite direction. Natsumi ignored her.

"That was an interesting show…" Natsumi grinned.

"Were you watching the whole time?" He looked horrified at the thought.

"Eh, I only came in time to see you pushing her against the tree, and pawing at her." She moved closer to him, until she stood in his shadow.

""Kits should not witness such scenes."

"Old jerks shouldn't treat young women like children."

" Sorry, ' _little_ one,' I forgot you didn't like that."

"…" Youko found himself in a penetrating gaze that lasted so long it made him uncomfortable.

" What? Something on my face…"

" …Mmm…I wonder…" Natsumi spotted a large rock close to Youko, and made use of it. She climbed on top, latching onto him in the process. Now her face was only a short few inches away from his.

" I'm really not a child anymore….what's it take to make you _see _that? I can do all the things 'they' do…"

Youko had an idea what Natsumi was getting at, but her next action forced the thoughts from his mind.

" Why won't you look at me?" She moved forward quickly and threw her arms around his neck, forcing her own body on his. Two inexperienced lips found his own, as Natsumi tried to kiss him the way she'd seen that demoness kiss him.

' Ah…this is weird. But I like it…I think' She shocked Youko even further by the use of her tongue. She was clearly unlearned in this area. It took Youko several seconds to come to his senses and block out the urges. He shoved her back, a little more forcefully than he meant to. Natsumi slipped off the rock and fell roughly back onto the ground, her hair slightly askew, dirt caked on her clothes. There was a prolonged, nasty silence for a minute before he hastily held out a hand to help her up. Natsumi slapped it away with brutality that caught him off guard. He would never forget the look in Natsumi's eyes, for it was nothing like he'd ever seen before. It was a mixture of shock, hurt and anger… tears threatening to spill as she glared up at him.

"I see how it is…" Her voice sounded more like a choked sob if anything.

" You could have just said something, so I'd leave you alone…" God, it hurt so much. The way he'd pushed her away. It wasn't fair. She pulled herself up, backing slowly away from him.

"Sorry I can't give you any joy like those _bitches!_" She turned and ran, as quickly and as far from Youko as possible.

" W-Wait! Natsumi!" No response. He sighed heavily, unsure of what to do in light of these events. He dragged himself through the forest unenthusiastically.

' I didn't want to hurt her, but…this is going too far. I don't understand why she's behaving so oddly …' All he could think about was the expression on her face…he didn't want to see it again. That pain…a look of betrayal even, of confusion, and a possibly a little hate…The kit was so sensitive. He'd leave her to her thoughts for awhile before talking to her again. He walked dejectedly around the forest for the next hour or two until he found the way back to camp. There was a gloomy ambiance among the bandits when he returned. What appeared to be the entire group was gathered around the bonfire, all of them wearing grim expressions.

"What's the matter with you all?"

Kitanaru approached him. "It's the Hunters…they've been clearing out the area for the past week or two. I've only just heard about it today. There's a group of them, around fifteen, but I can't be sure. Most of the smaller bands anywhere near here have all been caught or executed. It's only a matter of time before they get to _this _camp…"

What a wonderful evening this was turning out to be.

"…Tell the others to gather what they can, the most valuable things…we'll leave in two hours." He turned and walked off, but then stopped again.

"Did Natsumi come by here?"

" Hmm, the kit? She must have found out something too, because I saw her leave the camp with her stuff."

Youko walked back over to Kitanaru.

"What did you say?" He lifted Kitanaru from the ground.

"You let her leave?"

"Well, she said she felt she'd learned enough and that she was ready to leave. I didn't press it, since she's skilled enough to survive…"

Youko dropped him.

"You idiot."

Ahh…Chapter 11 done! Yay! Bet you all didn't expect such a quick update, huh? . I'm surprised myself. I spent all day trying to get it up because my schedule's gonna get tight. Especially since my mom has given me a list of the new rules around the house, and my computer time's being reduced as a result. ( You should see the list…it crack me up) Chapter 12 will take a little longer but I'll move my ass! As always, read and review!

Youko: Why am I _always_ the bad guy?

Me: Wake the hell up; you're a murderous, sleazy thief. You _are _a bad guy! ;

See y'all next chapter!


	12. Quarrel

Hey y'all! Finally got to Chapter 12! Yes, it's finally up! I decided tit would be better to have a shorten version that would be up sometime BEFORE the apocalypse. So relax, put up your feet,grab a crap load of junk food and read on.

Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis/Flashbacks

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

"…Tell the others to gather what they can…we'll leave in two hours." He turned to walk off, but then stopped again.

"Did Natsumi come by here?"

"Hmm... the kit? She must have found out something too, because I saw her leave the camp with her stuff."

Youko walked back over to Kitanaru.

"What did you say?" He lifted Kitanaru from the ground.

"You let her leave?"

"Well, she said she felt she'd learned enough and that she was ready to leave. I didn't press it, since she's tough enough to survive…"

Youko dropped him.

"You idiot."

Chapter 12: Quarrel

"Damn it…If I'm not back in two hours…" Youko pulled out a battered sheet of parchment from one of his pockets and passed it over to Kitanaru. One side displayed a small map, marked by several small symbols that represented the separate areas of the Makai.

"… Head South as far as you can go, and then move eastward. There's a large lake; there are some ships you can take. That will put more distance between yourselves and the Hunters. If the situation worsens, split up."

He trampled several bushes in his hastened departure. Kitanaru called out to the expectant group of thieves, who didn't bother to conceal their curiosity in the conversation.

" Oi! Move your asses! You've got two hours to get your shit together, 'cause we're movin' out!" They left to collect their belongings with little concern.

"I said, move it! "Kitanaru snapped. They obeyed this time, scurrying around in search of their precious possessions.

OOOOO

Youko growled in frustration. For a while, he had not been able to sense or even smell Natsumi. Great, just great.

'How much of a head start could she have possibly gotten! Damn girl is faster than I thought.'

By now the sky had darkened to a deep shade of sapphire, leaving the moon his sole source of light, not that it mattered. This wasn't the time to be wasting on such matters anyhow. He _knew_ Natsumi would underestimate the Hunters if and when she encountered them. It would probably only be a matter of time.

'Why of all times, did she pick _now _to run away?' He thought, currently oblivious as to the reason why she "ran away."

OOOOO

Natsumi forced her way through each annoying obstacle with violent strength, ignoring the scratches she received from the bushes and branches in return.

'I feel like such shit…it's not fair, damn it!'

She found herself unable to control the heavy flow of tears that blurred her eyesight and burned her eyes.

'He could have just admitted that he hated me…I bet I _was_ an annoyance all this time!' She pondered bitterly. The image back at the camp kept playing in her mind

"I _am _better than that twit!"

Her anger motivated an increase in her speed, and she pushed herself harder, venting her bitterness on the forest-life around her. As she ran she felt someone's youki…a horribly _familiar _youki.

"Shit!" She leaped onto the nearest tree branch, traveling from tree to tree, seeking out any means of losing it.

OOOOO

Youko smirked triumphantly as he picked up a small trace of youki from a distance. He was ninety-nine point nine percent sure he knew the owner of that particular youki. It disappeared again; Youko remained undaunted, however.

'So you want to play games with me, kit? Very well.' He sped up.

OOOOO

It had been several hours since the rising of the sun and so the bandits had long since abandoned their camp, taking care not to leave anything _too_ valuable behind. The environment in which they hiked seemed to gradually decrease in its number of trees, although they still found themselves roaming in a forested territory. Since the limited shade provided no sort of relief, the heat was particularly harsh on their bodies. As a result, the group was in foul spirits.

"How much longer is it! I don't want to spend however the hell many days I have left traipsing through these damn woods!"

"Would you rather be hot and tired, or be strangled with your own stomach, friend?"

"Everybody shut up!"

"Why'd we get the news so late anyway, eh Kitanaru?"

"No one said anything before, if they actually knew about the bastards beforehand!" Kitanaru snapped. "Get off my ass!"

Kitanaru was every bit as tired as his subordinates, although he didn't voice it. To make matters, worse, he wasn't entirely sure that they'd left the Hunters too far behind, because the sons of bitches were known to be able to hide their reiki. So they had no recourse but to press on, only taking an occasional five-minute break to keep their stamina up.

"Gods, it's too damn hot out here!"

"Stop yer bitchin' already!"

"Alright, rest time's over! Let's move it!" They began to run, not stopping any time before sun was high in the sky.

'Feh,' Kitanaru scowled. 'They'd better hurry it up.'

The rule among the group was to keep moving, no matter what obstacle they encountered. There was no time to run back for slackers that couldn't pull their weight. Any sort of delay could get the whole lot of them killed. Kitanaru certainly hadn't planned to get murdered today.

OOOOO

Natsumi stopped for a moment, short of breath and feet aching. She'd had to spend the whole night fleeing and watching, as there seemed to be no safe havens in the immediate area. It didn't matter, so long as "he" didn't catch her.

"Damn it….what'll I do now…?"

She fell to the ground with a lack of air, and her legs having given up the fight for now. She took a quick survey of her surroundings. A large, open forested area, which exposed her to bright, annoying sunlight. She shielded her eyes with one hand. If she looked hard enough, she could see in the distance a large, vaguely familiar mountain (although she couldn't figure out why it was familiar).

" Damn…am I gonna have to go _over_ them!"

She took another breath, which came to her easier this time, and her legs were regaining their strength.

" Feh, there's gotta be _some _place over there…Just steal myself some new crap. Find a _good _partner. Shit… For once I'd like to just _forget _it! Go away and leave me alone!"

She hated this…it just kept coming back. She was mad….but she didn't quite hate him, not as much as she probably should have… it drove her nuts. Angrily, she pulled a small meat bun out of her sack, and jammed it into her mouth, tears spilling with every piece she forced down her throat. When she finished, she stood, and ran again in the direction of the mountain, with the satisfied assumption that he was no longer trailing her, since she couldn't sense him anymore.

"Feh…that's right. Go back to your pretty little _whores._" She smirked coldly, shaking a bit as she said this. Within half an hour, she'd cleared the forest, and now faced the shadows of the mountain looming directly ahead. There was on path at the foot of the mountain, leading westward, the only route that _didn't _involve scaling icy slopes.

OOOOO

"Cmon, you lazy bastards, get the hell up!" Kitanaru spat at the group, receiving many a glare and blank look in return.

"Can't we just put up our feet for a bit! I can't go on any longer!"

"Yeah, a break never killed anybody!"

"Who the hell died and made _you_ leader, anyway!"

"Take a guess!" Kitanaru snapped, although he too found himself taking a seat on a large boulder covered in moist moss.

"Damned fool…he's gonna get himself killed going after that wretch! There are other women, for God sake!" The others grumbled ominously, too absorbed in their own complaints.

"Oi, Kitanaru! You had a map, didn't you? How far are we!"

"Oh yeah…" Kitanaru withdrew the battered piece of parchment.

"We're nearly at the halfway-point. Another day or two at the most should do it. Guess we're lucky that our camp was in an ideal spot. But…the time's not counting when we actually cross the lake."

There were several cranky groans at this latest bit of information.

OOOOO

Natsumi shivered, unaccustomed to such frigid climates.

"It's freezing here; why the hell didn't I bring something!"

She held her arms tightly around herself in an attempt to maintain whatever body heat she had left. Good thing that she chose the path over climbing over the gargantuan mountain after all. She knew she'd been hiking down the muddy path for a while, but she had no idea how long. Although now that she had passed the mountain, the air had warmed up again, but to a minimum extent.

"Damn it all! I can't feel my goddamn feet!"

All she wore was a thin pair of gold sandals, which had served well in the past, although in much warmer climates.

"He'd be making fun of me right now," She snarled, picking up her pace, oblivious to the thin layers of ice covering the ground ahead of her.

"Heh_…Tired already, little one? I thought I taught you better than that."_

"Bloody hell!" She cursed. "Now I'm imagining his voice! Wonderful!"

She marched on, determined to block these delusions out of her mind.

"_It's foolish to make such long journeys on your own, Kit."_

Natsumi snarled, with an increased level of ferocity. Her hands clenched tightly, small claws digging into her palms. She forced herself to run…and run, faster with every other step through the snow, trying desperately to leave the "delusion" behind. She kept it up until she slipped on an unnoticeable rock, landing face-first into a pile of mud. She cursed into the thick, slippery substance, spitting out the small portion that had found its way inside her mouth. She forced herself up, brushing the muck form her face and whatever she could from her now -stained outfit, which was torn slightly in a few places, but not enough to reveal anything.

'I know this place… but from _where?_'

She looked back where she'd come from. Apparently, she'd been running down a small slope for awhile. She'd come to a wide, rocky, muddy path, framed by dark-colored plant-life. She looked in the opposite direction and glimpsed a large rock formation, covered in weeds, moss, and such. Natsumi walked down further to inspect the area, and found a large opening in the largest of these boulders.

"Better than nothing."

It was just a relief to be able to rest somewhere. She dragged her sack inside, where she immediately discovered a dusty pile of old blankets, cloth, and moldy food, rotten beyond recognition. The cave walls were a dark-grayish black. Natsumi stared at this odd scene for a few minutes, taking in this nostalgic little hiding spot.

"Oh!" Her eyes widened as it finally dawned on her.

"I never thought I'd see _this _place again! Damn lucky, I guess!" She sat back against the wall, and dug into her sack of goodies. She pulled out a bottle of whisky she'd swiped.

"Here's to old homes, I guess!" She took several greedy gulps from the sacred drink, and passed out.

OOOOO

"Where the hell have you gone!" Youko tore through the sharp brushes with uncaring fury.

"Shit!" Something had just cut his hand…a quick look down at his right hand revealed a small scratch, from which a few drops of blood were already exiting.

"Damn it!"

He glared up at the mountain range, some short distance away.

"We don't have time for this!"

OOOOO

"Okay, you bums! Are you rested now!"

Kitanaru had decided to be merciful and allow them to rest for an hour…but it's possible that having his own legs give out on him had something to do with it.

"It's time to move out, let's go!"

The group cursed as its members found themselves roused from their pleasant catnaps. On they marched for several more hours, as the afternoon faded to dusk, and then evening. They approached a lone, narrow path, which looked like it continued for quite some time. The sky darkened farther out on the wide plain on either side of this route.

"This'll lead us to the lake eventually, and I think there's an inn or two along the way."

There ware a few sighs of relief at this.

"How are we going to be protected once we get there! Wouldn't the bastards just run after us?"

Kitanaru smirked. "Not unless they gathered an army or two…do you know how many criminals reside in that other Land (not even counting the weaker ones)? The "authorities" have given up hope for any kind of order over there, from what _I've _heard."

There were murmurs of approval among the concerned bandits.

"Now let's can the bullshit and keep going…we're still not that close yet."

"There's no point in pressing onward, if your miserable spirits have already deserted your weak bodies."

" Heh, you hide as well as you thieve."

' Shit!' Kitanaru cursed mentally. He was certain that this wasn't a well-known route, so how the hell did they catch up so quickly?

The thieves were furious at such low-brow insults; but there was also a little anxiety which they tried to play off.

"Who the hell are you to say?"

" Why don't you come on out and face us, you bastards! Or are you too scared?"

" You fools… don't underestimate them…"

Kitanaru wasn't sure on their next course of action. He had no idea how many Hunters there were, and he wasn't even sure where they were hiding. They'd jump as soon as they ran….so there was no choice but to fight them, and at least incapacitate them enough to get a head start out of here.

There was a low chuckle at these antics. They leaped down from their hiding spots in the branches of a pair of thick trees.

OOOOO

Youko stormed through the forest, taking care to smash at anything and everything he came across. His patience had thinned and his foul mood had returned. He was currently in a foul state of mind. On this ridiculous search he'd managed to slip and fall on his ass not once, but _twice_! His tail was still currently thawing.

" How I hate the cold…" He half-snarled.

"She could not have possibly gotten _this _far!"

A long, muddy path appeared before his feet. He stopped for a moment, pondering whether to chase her down the path or over the mountain.

"She couldn't have possibly gone over…"

He turned to face the foot of the mountain. There were no fresh footprints and he couldn't find a trace of her scent. For the last few hours of this miserable search-and-rescue mission he'd been able to pick up the tiniest remnant of it, but it certainly wasn't on the mountain. He broke into a sprint down the path. She would be found _today! _After a short while, he finally began to feel some youki…the same as before. This time it wouldn't elude him as before.

" Heh…growing weary are we…?" H smirked as he tore through the brushes with renewed vigor. He could sense her youki more and more every few minutes or so.

OOOOO

"Ugh…. That was one powerful drink…"

Natsumi sat up from her place within the small pile of blankets, bleary-eyed and holding her head.

"Wow…out for the whole damn night…. Wonder if there's some place to freshen up." She sat back against the wall for awhile, until she felt well enough to leave the cave and go find a spring or something. .

"There's gotta be somewhere around here….just don't remember…hmm…"

"Heh…funny meeting _you _here."

Natsumi froze at the voice, eyes darting nervously around the area for the speaker.

' _You've gotta be shittin' me!'_

Youko approached from Natsumi's left, stepping cautiously over a small bush to avoid tripping yet again. Natsumi stared, completely in shock.

" Finally decided to stop, hm? My weary feet thank you."

For each step Youko took toward her, Natsumi took one in the opposite direction., a wary expression on her face.

" You…Stay the hell away from me!"

She drew her sword, feeling very apprehensive and unsure of what to do at the moment. She shut her eyes quickly, as if that would make Kurama go away.

'_Go away, go away, go away go away!_'

Yoko halted when he there was five or six feet between them.

' I didn't think she'd take this so personally…but then again, she_ did _run away…'

He had absolutely no idea what to say to defuse the situation. Emotional breakdowns weren't exactly his expertise. And _now_ wasn't the time to become an authority on such matters.

"… We don't have time for you to be running off." He started walking again.

" The Hunters are coming. They'll surely kill you the moment they find you, and you have no idea how to get around them."

There was no response from Natsumi, although she opened her eyes and glared at him, never lowering her sword. Now Kurama was close enough to feel the tip of her sword on his chest, although he ignored this.

" Are you really that desperate to die…? Because I can guarantee that outcome…"

' There he goes, again, talking down to me!' Natsumi snarled. ' He's been doing this ever since I joined his rotten band!'

She continued to retreat from his advances, until her back hit the jagged surface of one of the boulders.

" I _can_ take care of myself, you know! I don't need you babying me anymore!"

Youko made no effort to disguise his irritation.

"You have no idea…"

"Shut up! You're the one who doesn't understand anything…I can deal with'em, ok!"

She tried to shove past him; he moved to block her escape, knocking the sword away. He had Natsumi forced against the wall, his arms pressed into the wall on either side of her. Natsumi scowled.

" You're being far more foolish than I gave you credit for." He said coldly, unaffected by Natsumi's efforts to kick him out of the way. He pressed on her shoulder blades to force her to sit still. She hissed at him.

"If I can't take them, you surely won't stand a chance. And don't even think about running…" His voice took a darker tone.

" They'll catch up with you, and tear you apart, limb by limb…it might be a quick death, but the odds are against you."

Natsumi had had enough.

"Just fuck off and die, why don't you? I'll do whatever the hell I want! It's over!"

She tried once again to force her way past him but to no avail. Completely frustrated and flustered she took a swing at him. He caught her fist long before it made impact.

" Bastard-!"

"Shh!" He put a hand over her mouth, and didn't move for several moments. Natsumi took the opportunity to bite down as hard as she could.

" Ouch! Damn it!"

Fortunately Youko was able to suppress any further cursing. Several drops of blood hit the ground from where her fangs sunk into his flesh. Luckily it was just a scrape. Natsumi took this distraction as an opportunity to leap past him.

" Oh no you don't!"

He seized her arm, dragging her back towards him, and lifted her from the ground, much to her furious protest.

" Put me down! Arrrghhh! Goddamn it!"

Natsumi shoved, clawed and kicked, but her valiant efforts made no difference. Youko turned into the woods and ran, until they were far off from Natsumi's temporary haven. After a while Natsumi had run out of insults and curses and remained silent, to Kurama's relief. He was starting to develop a severe headache.

' Shit shit shit!'

Weary from her desperate struggles, she could do nothing but let him press on for the time being. He carried her for what seemed like forever when he finally decided stop and put her down, although he wouldn't relinquish her arm. The forest was definitely thinning out, and it seemed like it was getting darker out. It was a while before either spoke again, the main sound being the crunching of bushes and the rustling of grass.

"…"

Youko walked, making sure to drag Natsumi right behind him.

" Just so you know, we were about to have a little encounter with them back there."

He didn't bother to face her as he spoke.

"_So!" _

She had to admit, it was a little weird for _him _to be running away from a fight.

' _Whatever… Who cares?'_ She thought to herself.

"…As difficult a concept as it may seem, I actually give a damn what happens to you," Youko snapped.

" Feh, didn't seem like you cared all that much _before_," Natsumi answered snidely.

Youko stopped and let his grip slacken.

"…"

Natsumi watched him with puzzled curiosity, again unsure of what to do. After several moments she walked forward a couple of (cautious) steps so that she stood alongside him…his face was turned away, however.

" I never intended for that to happen, you know, kit…" He started grimly. Why, oh why did he have to deal with this on top of everything!

" I was startled, perhaps a bit too much…but you know I could never hate you. I don't know why you don't believe me, after all this time." He added with irritation.

Natsumi stood her ground, surveying him with suspicious eyes.

" I'm truly..." He stopped, staring off somewhere. He started to walk off, which angered Natsumi.

' What the hell!'

Insulted by his rudeness, Natsumi followed him to the end of the forest, where there before them lay a barren land with one path lying before them.

"What the hell are you looking at?"

The way his eyes seemed to darken made her slightly nervous, a feeling which she hastily concealed. It couldn't be the path he was eyeing so intensely. Turning away from him, Natsumi took one look at what lay ahead of them for herself.

" …W-What the hell is this!"

He he….I thought that would be a good place to leave off. This chapter was so long, I decided, it might be better to split it up (hence the shortness), and also because I know there's been a HUGE two month period again between chapters…. I'm estimating Ch. 13 to come out within the next few weeks; I'm just not a fast writer... But anyway , I really, really want to hear what you think about this story. I've been feeling really down lately, and some reviews would cheer me up, especially in these times when people tend to judge a lot of stories as Mary-sues pretty easily, and people even share some of the same ideas…it gets harder to assert your individuality….but enough of my pessimism… Catch you all later!

P.S: Day 1 of Finals over: 2 more and the semester is done! 3 months of summer…but that means a forty-hour job….


	13. Temptation

Hehe…Another Chapter up! I still can't decide on what to start next, but oh well…later for that. My only job is to serve the readers… If you're reading this, I survived the school year and ACTs, which I probably failed. But never mind that, _read read read read read_!

WARNING: SCENES OF A SEXUAL NATURE ( NOT LEMON-LEVEL THOUGH)

Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis/Flashbacks

OOOOO : Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Reikai: Spirit World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

" I'm truly" He stopped, staring off somewhere. He started to walk off, which angered Natsumi.

' What the hell!'

Insulted by his rudeness, Natsumi followed him to the end of the forest, where there before them lay a barren land with one path lying before them.

"What the hell are you looking at?"

The way his eyes seemed to darken made her slightly nervous, a feeling which she hastily concealed. It couldn't be the path he was eyeing so intensely. Turning away from him, Natsumi took a look at what lay ahead.

" …W-What the hell is this!"

Chapter 13: Temptation

Natsumi's eyes surveyed the scene before them with revulsion and terror ….It wasn't trees that decorated the ground here, but bodies. It was more of a _field _of corpses scattered over the plain. Many of the victims looked as if their limbs had imploded; their rotting cartilage was strewn across the ground some distance from their actual bodies, many of which were headless as well. One demon looked as if his head were ripped clean off his neck bone. Natsumi recognized this one as one of the bandits she'd sparred with in the past. She followed Youko's lead through the mess.

" Tch…They found us out," Youko started bitterly. " Bastards never had a chance."

"But there's no _way _that our group could have been taken out so easily."

Natsumi couldn't believe that this was supposed to be the remainder of the band. How could some dumb "Hunters" be able to do this? She recalled the Hunter she'd seen Youko kill so easily. She jumped when she heard something crunch under her foot. Natsumi stepped over the object, and turned back to look at it; a bloody skull, complete with dangling scraps of skin and brain. She took another step, and found someone's eyeball dangling from the back of her sandal; she swung her leg, and it flew off to the side. She watched as it smashed on the sharp edges of a nearby rock, bursting apart on impact.

Youko eyed her coldly.

"Well they were. Do you still think you can survive out here now?"

His lips curled into a sardonic smile. Natsumi scowled but said nothing. He motioned to the area behind her.

"Do _they_ look familiar to you?"

Natsumi looked back the forest they had just left, and found herself looking up at several more bodies being suspended from the branches, again several missing vital body parts. But there were also those who looked as if they were beaten open Natsumi squinted, and saw several broken pieces of chain imbedded in their skeletal structure. They were all from the group. Natsumi swallowed the sudden lump in her throat, ignoring the urge to cry. There was no one left, except…

"Let's go." Youko started off once more.

Natsumi didn't budge; she was still in shock. So this was it, after all those years…No one left, no where to go back to, if Youko was telling the truth about the hunters…

"We should at least bury them, or something, shouldn't we? I don't wanna leave 'em here like this…"

"No. Leave them…"

He walked on; Natsumi shot him a dirty look, which of course went unnoticed.

"But…"

He turned to face her, taking a few steps back towards her.

"We don't have _time_." He frowned at her.

"They could be watching us right now, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. We're wasting valuable time as it is… There's nothing more we can do for them."

He walked up to Natsumi in a few more large strides. He seized her chin, forcing her head upwards.

"If you still think you can take them on after what you've seen, then by all means wait around…I however can't waste time trying to talk any sense into the foolish."

Natsumi pulled back hostilely, agitated with Youko but still not sure of what her next action was going to be.

" …There's an inn not too far up ahead," He pressed on, as if the matter was settled.

Natsumi was highly reluctant to follow on, still not caring for the way he was speaking to her. She waited to see if he would leave. He halted, when there was a fair distance between them and turned slightly.

"I promise that you can yell at me or whatever the hell you wish if you just _come with me_."

There was a certain quiet grimness in his gaze; both maintained eye contact with one another for several moments, until Youko turned away again, exerting a small sigh.

"Will you please just come?"

Natsumi studied him for a couple of minutes; he looked almost as weary as he sounded.

' ... He'd better actually have something to say this time.'

She followed, making sure to drag her feet.

OOOOO

Nighttime had long since fallen by the time they reached the old tavern that doubled as an inn. It was a run-down, but still perfectly operational building, having survived the past couple of decades. Upon entering, they saw various "celebrations" in full swing. Everywhere there were drinking contests, with another drunken demon hitting the floor every couple of minutes, while waiters and waitresses scrambled around taking orders. Music played in the background, but it was almost completely overshadowed by the din of the tavern. Youko proceeded to move along the back wall, as it was too difficult to fight through the masses of demons blocking the area without drawing a lot of attention to him, although he wore a think black cloak for protection against such circumstances. They'd come across two unfortunate demons on the way to the inn, and sadly, it was too risky to leave witnesses to the theft… Natsumi forced her away after him, taking little leaps over the larger unconscious demons and ignoring the attentions of a group a few tables away.

" _Hey, baby, why don't ya join us?" _

" _Room for one more!" _

To their luck there was an empty table at the very back of the tavern, concealed in a corner. Relieved, Youko took a seat immediately, not removing his hood. Natsumi remained standing.

" I just want a drink…I'm afraid I'm worn out a bit Wonder why..."

He eyed Natsumi pointedly; she scowled back at him.

"I know you're tired as well, so sit."

Natsumi obeyed, as this was very true. He leaned back in his own chair as she sat, carefully observing him as he chatted with a skinny blonde waitress who kept giggling and making suggestions before she finally left to fill his order.

' How many more witches do I have to see?'

Natsumi snarled slightly. This was both infuriating and tiresome now. Youko took notice of this.

"It's not as much fun as it seems you know," He smirked. Natsumi didn't crack a smile. He sighed.

" I don't know what to say, except that what happened before won't happen again. It was an _accident._"

Natsumi kept watching him with dark, judgmental eyes. Youko reached across the table for her hand, to her surprise. He grabbed a hold of her hand before she could pull away.

"What's it going to take to get you to trust me again?"

He gazed over at her seriously, making Natsumi feel slightly uncomfortable.

"… 'I'm sorry', that's what I was saying before."

"What?"

" Before we found the bodies of the others, I was trying to tell you that I was sorry."

' I really wish she'd let go… I despise being forced into this kind of position. I thought only humans dealt with this kind of crap!'

Natsumi stared down at the table.

" …"

" Come on, I'll make it up to you," He offered, ignoring the waitress who'd just returned with their beer. Seeing that he was uninterested, she sauntered off with a put-out pout. Youko slid one of the mugs over to Natsumi and took a large gulp from his own. Natsumi took a small sip, still watching Youko. She replaced the mug.

" …You know, I didn't really _want_ to leave." She studied several indentations. " You always acted like I disgusted you or something… did you ever think that I might want the same kind of attention you gave to those bimbos?" She glared at a couple of waitresses, who kept staring their way.

" You were too young and uninformed about these things, as I've told you before. And don't try to say otherwise," He cut off as Natsumi was about to object.

" Again, I don't know what to say. I find you a very attractive young woman, as a matter of fact. It's just…impossible to act on such impulses." He took another swig, still squeezing Natsumi's hand.

"I'm old enoughto decide _now_, don't you think?"

Natsumi scowled at him; he repressed a smile. Natsumi took several large gulps of the substance. The noise grew in the bar as more and more demons came in to entertain themselves for the evening. All remained ignorant; the attention of some was fixed on a fight that had broken out across the tavern, apparently over a prostitute. The fight ended with one of them leaving the bar clutching his side. The other went into the back with the demoness.

" You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

' _And what the hell does that mean!' _

" I _am_." She laid her mug down .

" What the hell does it have to take to get you to look to actually look at me?"

" I'm looking at you right now."

" Don't fuck with me."

" Such crude language."

"Whose fault is that?"

' _Why the hell is he picking on me? It's not funny!' _

Kurama yawned and rose.

" I'm tired , let's go someplace more…private."

He held onto her so that they weren't separated, fighting their way across the tavern (again miraculously ignored by the customers), to the worn door which connected the tavern to the old inn. Beyond that door was a long hallway, not illuminated by any form of light, with doors on either side. There didn't seem to be a large number of occupants. There was an open door at the very end of the hall He pulled her into a room just as the white-haired inn-keeper strolled by, his wide yellow eyes searching for freeloaders; he turned around upon successful inspection.

" Close one…This will do for the moment."

He glanced around the room, which was hardly high-class, but decent sized nevertheless. The room was dark and barren, save for a large bed with a moderately sized nightstand across the room to its right. On the nightstand was a dusty mirror, framed into an oval shaped by some old, beaten oak. This same oak made up the thick bed frame of the bed, which had ends that curled up into snake heads. The covers on the bed itself were a deep blue, made of cotton it seemed. It appeared that there were no other occupants previously, as the covers were not mussed in any way. Youko stretched out on top of them, positioning his hands behind his head.

"Looks like we've got to share."

"Says who? I can sleep on the floor."

Natsumi would never admit to herself that she wanted nothing more than to curl up next to him, not when she was still felt angry at him. Youko sat up again, slightly rolling his eyes at her.

" Don't be stupid, kit-"

" Don't call me kit."

He released a long sigh.

" What do you want from me, then? I really have no idea what to do so why don't _you _suggest something, dear? And come here."

He beckoned to her.

"…" She still seemed wary.

" Do you think I'm going to beat you? Just come, sit by me."

' _Uptight little thing when she wants to be.' _

Natsumi took her time walking over to the bed; once there she took a seat on the edge. Youko forced her to look at him however. She struggled at first, but he wouldn't release her.

" Talk to me," He encouraged softly, lighting rubbing her face.

Natsumi flushed, to her dismay, especially when she found that she couldn't stop it.

" Oh, you act all nice now," She started bitterly. "But it won't be like that the next time I say something."

"What do you mean?" He had vague feeling he knew what was coming next.

'_mmm…Dare I try again…?' _

She stared at him for several moments, trying only too hard to fight the desire to touch him, for fear of being thrown off again.

' _Screw it; I'll hold him down this time if I have to_.'

She shifted her position so that her left leg hung over his lap, leaving her sitting awkwardly halfway on his legs. With a moment's struggle she pulled herself all the way up so that she straddled him. Youko found himself in an embarrassing position, as his first reaction was arousal.

" I mean, when I do this again," She said quietly, shifting so that she pressed herself further against him. Two short arms draped themselves over his shoulders.

" I'll bet you're about to push me off again," She choked on her words. To her puzzlement, he moved his arms to support her, pulling her a few inches closer.

" It's not fair…I don't want to feel this way anymore…and I'm sick of getting made fun of about it!" She half yelled this last sentence. Too many times had they carried on the same conversation…she was always "naïve', or "too young."

"I just want to go away…really far away…"

Youko leaned forward and nuzzled her cheek lightly…Natsumi fought all enjoyment and turned away.

" I can't do this, because I know you don't mean it..."

She turned away from him at this point, staring directly at the ground, because the bitter tears were already threatening to fall.

' I'm sick of him denying it! Why doesn't he just admit it already! More importantly, why the hell am I still dwelling on this! '

Natsumi still didn't comprehend the anger and sadness she felt.

"All I want now is for things to go back to normal."

She sniffed, still not daring any eye contact with Kurama, who had resumed nuzzling her cheek as he listened. Deciding that any more of these actions were inappropriate, she tried to pull herself off; b his grip was unrelenting, however.

" Just…let me go. You don't want this. Let's just forget about all the shit that's happened, alright?"

"…You've got no where else to run, vixen, and you know it."

Youko pulled back slightly, looking as tired as he had before, although still holding Natsumi so that she couldn't get away.

" Do you even know what "Mating" really is…?"

" I know enough…I'm not as stupid as you seem to think..."

' What the hell keeps poking me…eeep'

A realization dawned on her as she pondered this.

" Heh…of course, they would have taught you…"

Damn it all to hell; already he was thinking with his 'chibi.' He grunted in concentration, trying to qualm his arousal. Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. He decided it would be best to let her sit someplace else for the moment.

" Maybe you'd be more comfortable on the bed after all." He offered, trying to delicately set her down. Natsumi wouldn't budge, having figured out what the problem was.

"I'm alright here." She said determinedly. She bounced on his lap slightly, as she pulled herself close again.

" For someone who's repulsed by me, you sure seem to react to my presence."

She licked her fangs as she scrutinized him.

' Damn it…How much did they tell her exactly?'

"D-"

"Do you know what "love" is? Kitanaru-kun once told me about it, but I don't understand…he said there were different types of love, and he kept grinning at me as he talked about it…"

' God damn him! Leave it to that idiot to make things worse!'

" Do you think you love me then?"

Youko smiled nervously. Oh, how the hell was he ever going to get out _this? _

" I dunno," Natsumi looked up at the ceiling in contemplation for a moment before redirecting her gaze at Youko.

" Maybe…but that's not important. Tell you what…" She added, bouncing on his lap once again.

" Natsumi, I'm begging you, stop it!"

Natsumi rubbed her face up against his….so soft.

'I won't be able to stop until…'

"Be with me tonight, and I won't bring it up again…"

"What!"

Youko froze, not sure how to change a situation that had become way too dangerous. She was asking him to sleep with her! The thought that scared the hell out of him the most was that it didn't sound like a completely terrible idea. She wasn't a child anymore, and her body certainly wasn't….it _ha_d been awhile since someone warmed his bed. His nose began to bleed lightly…he moved too late to cover it up.

" Why the hell are you bleeding? I don't think I beat you..."

Natsumi was baffled.

"Never mind, never mind…it's already stopping…"

He seemed greatly relieved at this last part.

"Urrhh…I think we should get some rest now….we have a long run ahead of us…"

He shifted. Natsumi remained in position.

"Umm…"

" I've decided that I'm not leaving this time." A greedy glint sparkled in her eyes.

" If you're not really repulsed…"

To his utter shock, he found himself trying to resist her attempt to pull his clothing off. Quick, determined fingers were trying to loosen the sash around his waist, despite the number of times her moved them away.

" Natsumi-"

She ignored him, brushing his own hands away. As soon as the sash loosened she pulled on his shirt, exposing his chest. She roughly pulled the shirt down to the best of her ability, eyeing him like a predator. Youko was quite far gone at this point….more amused and aroused by her sudden forwardness than anything. She ran her hands across the fleshy surface, her expression indicating that she was attempting to figure out what to do next. This continued for several minutes, as she kept holding him down. Her inexperienced fingers traced his muscles, until he found himself at his breaking point. Every touch made him more sensitive to the small body pressed against him.

' Damn it!'

He started to make one last feeble attempt to slide out from under her, but she pounced before he could act, stealing another, deeper kiss. Kurama found himself forced farther back on the bed, while Natsumi tightened her hold over his shoulders. Her touch still felt delicate, pretty light, although her kiss was forceful. Her tongue probed chastely about his mouth, lightly colliding with his own. Before he was aware of his actions Kurama cupped her face in his hands and pressed into the kiss. His hands shifted through her hair, curling and toying around with the locks. Their tongues proceeded to battle, although his quickly won dominance over hers. The mouth-fight went on for a couple more minutes, until Youko moved down onto her neck, nuzzling and nipping at her soft, warm skin. Natsumi leaned her head over in the opposite direction to expose more of her neck. Kurama's hands worked at Natsumi's outfit, nimbly untying her own sash. Having completed this task, he began to slide the top portion of her outfit down, until her collarbone and breasts were visible. He stopped for a split second and observed the effects of his attentions. Natsumi's hair was draped partially over one shoulder, her bangs covering her eyes; he could hear her panting slightly. His eyes roamed south on her chest, which steadily rose and fell with each excited breaths. They roamed a little lower and found two, well defined breasts. Youko licked his fangs, taking in the set.

' Not bad…'

He'd definitely seen larger breasts, however it didn't stop him from enjoying the present scenery. Natsumi trembled harder than ever upon his contact.

' That feels so…nice…'

A warm, tingly, unfamiliar feeling washed over her; she felt a small ping of pressure at the bottom her of stomach as he started to kiss her again, this time more feverishly; his hands worked frantically at getting the rest of her outfit off. Natsumi willing assisted him by maneuvering her way out of the last part, exposing all of herself. Again, Youko stopped to admire the scenery. Her body was small, perhaps a bit too small for a fully grown vixen, but it certainly didn't disappoint. He ran his hands down her hips fairly slowly, savoring the shapely form. From her hips his hands roamed around to her backside, his fingers making intricate patterns all the down to her rear. He cupped her cheeks lightly, making Natsumi flush even more. He looked at her face again, and laughed. Natsumi frowned in irritated puzzlement.

"What?"

" Feel free to make a move sometime soon, after all, you are a part of this as well."

Natsumi's expression softened into one of mixed contemplation and confusion. Wanting to get the ball rolling again, and determined to prove herself a good lover, she pressed her lips against his again, running her hands over his chest. She blushed as she felt the shallow, rippling muscles; she kind of liked this body… After several minutes of exploring his torso she let her hands fall further down his body to his pants. She tugged at these until they began to slide down. He set her gently aside for a moment so he could step out of them. Once this task was done he set her back on his lap. Natsumi's eyes were fixated on his body, surveying his nude shape. She jumped a little as she felt a long, hard, fleshy object brush against her. Youko found himself grinning mentally at this reaction.

"It's harmless, I assure you. You should know."

The blushing Natsumi forced him back into the lip-lock. Youko noticed she was getting better at it pretty quickly.

With no warning he flipped Natsumi over to the bed, so that she was sprawled on her back , arms still wrapped around his shoulder blades. Youko loomed over her, bent over so that he could nuzzle her again.

"We could always stop now, you know…forget this ever happened…"

He took several deep breaths. He needed to get it out of his system but he feared that Natsumi wouldn't be prepared for what was coming next.

" What!..."

Natsumi looked extremely angry at the prospect of stopping after coming so far. There would be no way in hell that he would ditch her at _this_ point. She pulled him down on herself once more. Getting the message, he started to rub against her, much harder this time. His kisses had far more force. Natsumi picked up her own pace to keep up. This "rivalry" in affections continued for several minutes; Natsumi enjoyed herself immensely.

"This is going to hurt." Youko warned, his words muffled.

Natsumi remained defiant.

"What do you take me for?"

She continued her administrations. Heeding her words, Youko let his hands return to her hips. He couldn't deny the pure excitement he felt as he prepared to enter her. It was all he could do not to let his instincts take control and take the girl, like he'd done hundreds of times before. No, this time would have to be different, given the circumstances…Fortunately he could already feel her moistness; it would make things a little easier… Natsumi remained ignorant of what was about to occur, having occupied herself with caressing his increasingly tense chest, as the slight change in positions made it difficult for her to reach the organ between his legs. She was delightfully startled when he grabbed her right wrist firmly, but not painfully and forced her further down into the bed. She felt something prod at her opening for a moment before it forced its way through. Natsumi screamed into Youko's mouth. It felt as if the object was trying to shatter something, and it was succeeding; what was he doing? It was way too big for her!

' It hurts, it hurts….!'

She tried to shift herself, but Youko held her still, comforting her as efficiently as he could as he continued to let himself slide in, inch by inch. He took his right hand from her hip and wiped the sweat that was starting to form on her paling face. He stroked her face in consolation, while she emitted helpless gasps and whimpers. He stopped when he felt that he'd gone far enough into her, taking as much time as needed to distract Natsumi until she was ready. Natsumi meanwhile, chose to lie still as long as possible, trying to focus on Kurama's affection.

" It will end soon…"

He gazed down into her surprised, agonized eyes, which were beginning to water. She squeezed them shut. He ran his hands through her hair, and rubbed up against her cheekbone. Her body was so tense.

" Unhh….urrh…"

It was like being impaled in her nether regions, a t least at first. But it seemed to be starting to numb, to Natsumi's relief. Both kitsune lay still for awhile before Youko propped himself up a little, prepared to continue.

"Can you go on….?"

Natsumi stared at him for a moment , then nodded with glazed-over eyes. She could handle this. Youko began to withdraw slowly, tenderly from her. Natsumi was just starting to regret the lost of the warmth when he suddenly forced himself back in, with more force this time. She was startled by this action...at least the pain was gone now. But the sensation in her lower stomach area grew stronger. He moved out again, and immediately thrust in again. The pattern repeated itself for several minutes. Once Natsumi adjusted however, she began to get impatient. Youko felt the same way.

' I can't hold it much longer….!'

A soft whine caught his attention. Natsumi kept shifting beneath him, a sign that she was ready. He obediently increased his pace, to the relief of both.

' Uh….ah…..ahhhh!"

Natsumi was starting to like this…how exhilarating, especially now that they had more speed. She was starting to sweat profusely as their bodies came together faster and faster; her mussed hair clung to her body; as it did with her partner but both were too occupied at the moment to worry about such details. Natsumi's moans became louder and more frequent, although still muffled by Youko's mouth. It was an almost euphoric experience, her body was filled with electricity as he rode her harder. She kept her arms around his neck, keeping his head close and bracing herself as he let his instincts take control. As he moved in and out, Natsumi felt her lower stomach tighten again; she felt as if she might burst any moment. Youko couldn't deny that he was enjoying this immensely, as he had the other times. He loved hearing those little moans, and it made him particularly aroused when they came from Natsumi. Innocence was quite delicious…Any thoughts of guilt or shame were buried for the time being as he took the vixen. He was getting so close, so close….just a little bit more….

"Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuhhh!"

Natsumi half moaned, half screamed as she climaxed.; she was greatly relieved that the tight feeling in her stomach was disappearing. She laughed deliriously, having experienced so many wonderful new sensations.

Youko smirked at the expressions on Natsumi's face, as he came inside of her with a loud groan. He licked his fangs as he finished. After a while he slowly pulled out. He withdrew carefully, so as not to disturb the dozing vixen. A pang of guilt struck him.

'What's done can't be undone.'

They both got what they wanted, it seemed…He brushed it off, starting to turn to get comfortable, when an arm found it's way around his waist. He felt something move closer to him, pulling him back. He turned to find a bleary-eyed Natsumi eyeing him. She moved so that her head rested on his shoulder and an arm was draped over his chest.

"You're not going anywhere."

He supposed that this was meant to sound more threatening. She draped one of her legs over his. Half of Youko found the situation quite humorous while the other half had no idea what to do. He never _cuddled_ with lovers. What a lovely, and yet, fucked up situation at the same time…. He looked down at her to find that she was asleep again. After much mental debate, he decided to let his right arm wrap around her waist. Why not? He lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. He sighed, brushing some stray locks away from his face. He hoped there wouldn't be any…complications after tonight. After awhile he pulled the covers over both of them and finally went to sleep.

Hallelujah! Finished with the damn chapter! Wasn't expecting to have to do _another_ chapter split, but oh well. How'd y'all like the inn scene? It was my first time writing something like that… Unfortunately, I had to edit some of it to make it suitable for but the good news is that the "uncut" version can be found on ( same username, but you need to type it exactly as it is to find it.: natsumichan, and it goes by the same title)! If you want the lemon, go check that out….but either way, reviews make me _very very _happy! I really need feedback on this chapter and the chapters after.

P.S: I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and to a certain new reviewer of the story…you know who you are. I was feeling pretty crappy that I wasn't getting any new reviews….I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM SOME MORE PEOPLE THOUGH...I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE!


	14. Escape

At last, I have made it to Chapter 14….I might have gotten it up a bit sooner if I hadn't gotten banned from the computer…but I also had to worry about that damn essay for the FMA contest, which I didn't win. Oh well. I've also been playing around with fic ideas. It's easy to come up with them, but harder to plan the specifics/write out. What's important is that it's up, though. Whatever, just relax and read.

"Random" dialogue

' Random' thoughts _Random_ emphasis

OOOOO: Denotes scene and/or time change

**Vocabulary Corner**: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Makai: Demon World

Ningenkai: Human World

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there _are_ some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix "Chan": Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix " Kun": Same as Chan except for Males

Previously:

Youko smirked at the expressions on Natsumi's face, as he came inside of her with a loud groan. He licked his fangs as he finished. After a while he slowly pulled out. He withdrew carefully, so as not to disturb the dozing vixen. A pang of guilt struck him.

'What's done can't be undone.'

They both got what they wanted…He brushed it off, starting to turn to get comfortable, when an arm found it's way around his waist. He felt something move closer to him, pulling him back. He turned to find a bleary-eyed Natsumi eyeing him. She moved so that her head rested on his shoulder and an arm was draped over his chest.

"You're not going anywhere."

He supposed that this was meant to sound more threatening. She draped one of her legs over his. Half of Youko found the situation quite humorous while the other half had no idea what to do. He never _cuddled_ with lovers. What a lovely, and yet, fucked up situation at the same time…. He looked down at her to find that she was asleep again. After much mental debate, he decided to let his right arm wrap around her waist. Why not? He lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. He sighed, brushing some stray locks away from his face. He hoped there wouldn't be any…complications after tonight. After awhile he pulled the covers over both of them and finally went to sleep.

Chapter 14: Escape

Kurama was the first to rouse several hours later. He lay there for several moments, blinking and adjusting to the light. It was nice to see that no one was standing over the bed, waiting to gut the pair of them. He shifted the covers off of himself gently,so as not to disturb Natsumi, who maintained the same position from the previous night. That was the easier part; the challenge lay in moving away from her without waking her, as she seemed to have somewhat of a grip around his waist. He tenderly pried her hand off. Shifting ever so slightly toward the edge of the bed, he let her arm slowly slide off his chest, moving inch by inch for several minutes until he was at last free. He sat up, the remainder of the blanket sliding down so that he was well exposed.

"nnnnnnhhh…"

He turned back at the sound to see if he'd woken her up after all. Natsumi seized the pillow on which Youko previously rested and clung to it with an iron grip, wrapping her legs around the bottom. Relieved and amused, Youko turned away again to get to his clothes, lying in a neglected pile by the foot of the bed. He was fully clothed within a few minutes. After making sure his hair was in order he looked back over at Natsumi again. She was lying on her back now, although her left arm was still clutching the pillow. He saw that the blanket had slid down to expose her bare breasts; he rolled his eyes and walked over to her side of the bed to replace the covers. He knelt to observe the dozing vixen for a few minutes. He could just barely see her eyes under her disheveled hair. It was pretty cute how she still managed to look so innocent. Actually, it wasn't so much the act of last night that bothered him, but Natsumi's comprehension of how such things worked. He stood. Now was not the time to be wasting his thoughts on this sort of thing. What had happened happened, and they'd both have to deal with the consequences, which certainly weren't a higher priority than staying alive. He decided that it might be better if he waited a while before he woke her up, as they still had a long way to go and hey both needed their strength. He needed to check into what was going on in this area anyway. He rose again, and tread softly across the room to the door, shutting it softly behind him.

OOOOO

Natsumi purred as she turned over on her left side, basking in the warmth of the blankets. As she grew more alert to the living world, she reluctantly opened her eyes. She made no move to leave the comfort of the blankets, however.

'Damn, I can't get back to sleep!'

She tossed and turned in the mass of covers, rolling all over the bed, until she finally sensed that something was missing. She rubbed her eyes and looked around.

'Where'd he go?'

She sat up on the edge of the bed, holding the blankets around herself. There was no sign of him. Deciding that it was too cold and she was still too tired to actually get up, she curled back into the blankets. The room was kind of creepy when she was the only one there.

'Eh, he'll come back eventually.'

If he didn't, well fuck him.

OOOOO

Damned useless fools…he'd been traipsing through the area for hours without any real information. It seemed no one had any idea of the hunters' whereabouts. There was an area about a mile or so west of the inn that had a few small markets. It wasn't a large town or anything, mainly a cluster of old buildings, to pick up food, clothing and such, and a place that forged weapons. He'd spent the morning in the search for rumors, facts, anything that might help their awareness of the Hunters. He stopped along the way to get a new outfit for Natsumi, having seen the condition of her original clothing. He'd worn his cloakof course, not willing to let himself get caught after all this work; it _did _attract curiosity, especially because of his height, but no one took a particularly strong interest in him. He reached into a hidden part of his cloak and pulled out a small, rectangular burgundy box. It was still safe, although it would be pretty ironic if someone stole it from _him. _He replaced it, turning to head back to the inn.

OOOOO

Natsumi finally woke from her second sleep, feeling more refreshed than when she first woke up. She shoved the covers off of her and sat up, looking to see if Youko had come back yet. He hadn't. There was still no sign that he'd been there. Natsumi scowled.

"He could have at _least_ told me where he was going!"

She reached for her clothes, her legs getting caught up in the blankets in the process. After some struggling, she pulled herself free from the offending cloth, and draped her legs over the bed as she grabbed her outfit. It was only now that she's realized that the outfit wasn't in very good shape. There were tears in multiple places, and the mud stains were pretty noticeable, although no one said anything about it the previous night.

" Hmmm….doesn't look that great, but I don't have much of a choice."

She had to get of here as soon as possible, and seeing that he still hadn't shown up there was no need to wait any more. She stepped into the outfit, scowling at everything in the room.

"Feh…what was all that crap about caring and staying together?"

She tugged at the outfit, trying to slide her hips into it. After several attempts she was successful; she wiggled into it. She slid the sleeves over her shoulders.

'Was I so bad that he had to leave? I thought we both had fun."

She walked over to the mirror, blowing some of the dust away so that her reflection was visible for the most part. Her hair was disheveled; her locks stood up in several places, and her bangs were spread out in opposite directions. She pressed her hair down to the best of her ability and played with her bangs. It looked a little better after several minutes of administration. She double checked her appearance. Finally satisfied for the moment she turned to leave the room. Halfway there however, the door opened, and in stepped Youko, carrying a small bundle. He removed his hood, eyeing her curiously.

"Going somewhere…?"

"I guess not, now that you've actually come back."

Youko frowned in confusion.

"Of course I would. Why wouldn't I? Unless…"

A thought occurred to him.

"…You thought that I abandoned you?"

"Well, you were gone when I woke up." Natsumi frowned, willing to smack him if he started to make fun of her. "What was I _supposed_ to think?"

"That I simply had to go out for a little while?"

He approached her.

Natsumi stared down at the floor, shifting uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry, ok? You scared me…"

He played with her locks.

"I had to go find out how close by the Hunters were. I wanted you to rest some more since we've got a long way to go. Neither of us can afford for you to be too weary. That being said, I got something for you."

He handed the bundle over to Natsumi.

"I got you a little something."

With unsuppressed curiosity she examined the bundle. It contained a black outfit; a short black sleeveless suit that cut off a few inches just below the hip, with a black belt strap wrapped around it. A short sash hung from the strap.

"You were in desperate need of a new wardrobe," he said, watching her study the outfit.

She set it down on the bed and started to undress again without any warning; Youko turned his back, feeling slightly uncomfortable. After sliding the sleeves down her arms, Natsumi shimmied out of the outfit, letting it fall to the floor with a soft thump. As she was reaching for her new clothes, she looked up and saw Youko standing with his back to her.

"Why won't you look at me?"

He cringed slightly.

"It's inappropriate… how about I just leave the room?"

He started to move toward the door.

"Nah, it's all right….why should you?"

Natsumi couldn't fathom why he was worrying about something so stupid now. She shrugged it off and slipped into the outfit.

' It fits pretty well.' She finished securing the belt.

"Heh…what do you think?"

He turned around cautiously, making sure it was safe.

"Not bad…but I think it lacks a little something."

"Eh? Like what?"

She watched curiously as he pulled out a small case.

"Turn around."

She felt him put something around her neck; she jumped a little as she felt something cold drag along her skin.

'What's _this?_'

She ran over to the mirror to get a more proper glance as soon as it was fastened. The necklace was made of silver chain links, ending at the pendant dangling over her chest, which resembled a woman. The woman seemed to bemade of sapphire, although it was framed by silver. Two wings protruded from this figure, whose arms were stretched above her head, almost as if they were bound. The left wing seemed to be made of some black stone (maybe onyx) while the right one looked as if it were made of some transparent crystal ( it couldn't be diamond, could it?), both of these also framed by silver. Natsumi fingered the piece with silent awe.

'Wow…it's gorgeous!'

"I picked it up on the way back…I thought you would like it. It seems I was correct."

She nodded absent-mindedly, still fiddling with the necklace. Youko smirked.

"Think of it as a promise to remain my partner. And I'd appreciate it if you started _believing_ me. I don't want to go through this on a daily basis. "

She stared at him for a minute before speaking again.

"All right, all right….but try and pull something on me and I'll kill you…"

The discussion of this particualr subject ended in silence for several moments. Natsumi was the first to speak again.

"What do we do now?"

"The sooner we leave, the better."

She followed his lead out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

OOOOO

Natsumi stretched, taking the opportunity to enjoy the sun's warmth. They'd been hiking through yet another forested area beyond the inn, although there was hardly any shade here (not that it mattered, because it was only moderately warm and barely humid at the moment). In several places the paths diverged, but the thieves continued straight ahead; they'd only made one or two turns the entire time. The eager Natsumi had ended up ahead of the ever-cautious Youko.

"Slow down a bit! It's not wise to be quite so reckless."

He frowned. Did he just hear leaves crunching? Natsumi sighed and slowed her pace, so that she now walked side by side with him. Youko thought he picked up a scent that didn't quite fit the environment, although he couldn't be totally sure. He stopped and looked around, ears twitching as they strained to pick up any odd sounds. Natsumi simulated him.

"There's nothing else around," She said, puzzled at his behavior.

"They're very skilled with concealment. Let's go...Wait a minute…"

He had completely forgotten about Natsumi's little 'vision' ability, as she never used it on occasions other than thefts. How the hell did he not think of it sooner….

"Can you see them?"

Natsumi stared, clueless as to what he was talking about at first, but then snapped to attention as she remembered. She closed her eyes, focusing on the area around them. Deep in her mind she could see the forested area….green, green…..

'Wait! What's that?'

She saw something dart through the trees; it was too swift to get a decent look. There was nothing now, but the leaves and branches flapping in the wind. She looked down past the trunks closer to the ground, searching, seeking….'

"That's enough!"

Natsumi's eyes snapped open, as her mind opened itself to the current surroundings again.

"I have a bad feeling about this…."

They started off again; Natsumi noticed that he was pulling her along now. As they moved onward, the forest became a lush-green maze once again, while the path still went on. Finally, they reached a moderately sized clearing where the path ended. Youko dropped her hand and turned to speak, his eyes grim.

"This is the point where neither of us can afford to be reckless. It's only too easy to get lost in here… I want you to stay as close behind me as you can, got it?"

Natsumi nodded. They walked across the clearing; Youko forced the plant-life aside so they could enter. All of a sudden Youko lifted her and whipped her around so that she stood in front of him. A pair of silver sickles hit the ground where Natsumi stood previously. Kurama swore as something struck him suddenly, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Natsumi ran to him, but he waved her off, picking himself up unscathed. A new voice spoke up.

"I can't believe we caught up to this guy so quickly! Some thief. It's probably old age kicking in, but they've all got to go _some _time_." _

A tall figure emerged several feet from where the kitsune stood. His deep blue eyes glinted maliciously. They either lacked pupils, or the pupils blended in very well. His hair (the color of his eyes) ended just above his posterior, partially covering his very human-looking ears. The man wore a sleeveless blue top that resembled a vest, attached to dark slacks by a large black leather belt, around which several types of chains and bladed objects could be seen. Youko moved to stand in front of Natsumi, glaring at the Hunter.

"_Run," _He ordered her, summoning his Rose Whip.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'll catch up to you later." He kept his eyes on the Hunter before them.

"How cute….trying to save your whore… Or maybe you're trying to make a bargain…her in exchange for your life? I'd always _heard_ that you were a self-centered bastard."

The man smirked. Natsumi shot him a filthy look.

"I know where you're going...As soon as I finish you and this adorable vixen I plan to cross over. You filthy criminals should learn to keep your mouths shut about such places, although I admit that you managed to keep it from me for quite a while…"

Natsumi snarled.

'This arrogant prick is who he was worrying about! I'll take care of him for the both of us!'

"Leave us alone!"

Natsumi lunged, ignorant of Youko's protests.

"Heh."

With graceful agility he turned and pulled a long, dull chain from his belt, whipping it sharply, to catch Natsumi's wrist. As soon as she was caught, he slammed his fist into her jaw, sending her falling back. He roughly swung her around, letting her go when he got enough momentum to send her flying out of the clearing. Instead of hurtling into the forest however, she bounced off something.

" Aaaaaaaaah!"

Natsumi a horrible jolting sensation in her torso as she slid down whatever it was that had repelled her. It stopped when she moved forward, away from the invisible "wall," although she was still shaking from the impact. Youko moved to help her, but the Hunter began to throw punches at the kitsune, making sure not to give him time to do anything more than block. Agitated, Youko tried to slam his kneecap into his stomach. Before he could cause any damage, the Hunter's right hand was engulfed in a light blue aura, which blindedthe kitsune; the Hunter's knuckles connected with his stomach. Youko's attacker then kicked the Rose Whip out of his hand; it landed a few feet away, although it still maintained its shape. He fell back, but didn't allow himself to hit the ground again. The Hunter leaped into the air, probably planning a deathblow from above; there was a faint aura around him now. Youko rolled out of the way, but couldn't escape a kick to the side. The hunter pressed his foot into his stomach.

"Seishirou, can we cut the crap and get this done and over with? Enough is enough."

Both kitsune looked up. Another Hunter stood in a tree on the opposite side of his partner. He had lengthy hair, tied in a loose ponytail with bangs that somewhat obscured his narrowed hazel eyes, which had small flecks of black. His outfit was similar to his partner's except that it was a light shade of gray. He had thin silver armor around his torso and legs. Seishirou smirked up at the newcomer.

"What did I tell you about relaxing, Aromaru? If your barriers are still of any decent quality at all…."

He gestured to the kitsune.

… They're not going anywhere."

Aromaru leaped out of the tree.

"Very well. Have your fun then, but I won't sit idly by while you get all the credit as usual," Aromaru responded sharply.

His partner paid no mind, turning his attentions back to the matter at hand. BeforeYouko could attack, Seishirou removed his foot from his stomach and sstomped on his right wrist. The said kitsune didn't scream as it shattered, but could not muffle his groaning. Seishirou's smirk grew.

Natsumi moved to help him but found herself blocked by Aromaru, who scowled.

"Why do_ I _get stuck with the whore?"

Natsumi attacked, aiming a series punches which never found their target, as Aromaru proved to be adept at blocking, occasionally just side-stepping the blows. He yawned unappreciatively as she tried to slam her elbow into his face, grabbing her arm and wrenched it around with unhidden vehemence. Natsumi winced noticeably, whirling around to try and knock him away. He kicked her in the stomach; she fell on her back but immediately rose and ran back into the battle. He summoned a pure-white colored reiki, which engulfed his entire body. As Natsumi approached she saw his eyes flicker white for a moment before the force of the aura knocked her back. She summoned her own respective violet youki to protect herself as Aromaru's reiki took the shape of several orbs. He began hurling the throwing spirit spheres everywhere, his stamina never wavering. Natsumi had very little time to catch her breath dodging these; several times she had to do back flips and somersaults to avoid them. After several minutes of this assault, Aromaru brought forth a sphere much larger than its predecessors. To Natsumi's dismay, he formed a second one identical in his opposite hand. She heard someone yelling. A quick glimpse across the clearing revealed Youko trying to pull something from his hair while trying to avoid/block Seishirou's relentless advances. Aromaru's voice brought her mind back to the battle.

"You're slightly better than I imagined, but still too pathetic."

He launched himself forward. Natsumi tried to move quickly enough to get behind him, but this proved impossible. Natsumi leaped out of his way as he lunged, but before her feet touched the ground again, the area blew up, catching Natsumi in a blast of rock remains. She managed to land on her feet, her arms held over her head to avoid the last of the debris. Another shot hurtled toward her. She forced her energy to form a stronger barrier as she moved to block it. Suddenly, the area where she stood presently exploded as well. Youko was somewhat aware of the explosions but still too occupied with his current battle.

"She's probably dead, that one." Seishirou grinned. "If I'm wiping the floor with _you_, what chance does _she_ have?"

"Like I would be foolish enough to allow unworthy fighters in my band," Youko responded, seemingly undaunted by the situation despite the numerous deep cuts and bruises on his body. His hand whipped into his hair and threw out several seeds, hastily throwing his youki into them; they sprouted into a pair of black and purple trees. He took several blows in the process, getting knocked back to the ground. He scowled up at the Hunter; his nose was bleeding heavily, and there were noticeable mars on his face. Seishirou failed to noticethe plants.

"Not going to fight back? Have you given up already?"

Seishirou looked behind him as the branches crashed into him, throwing him away a few meters as they gained a grip on him. Youko saw Aromaru some distance away, looking around for Natsumi. Although his injuries slowed him down considerably, Youko approached, hoping to get the other one from behind. He didn't notice a blooded Seishirou returning to the clearing, bleeding heavily from his shoulder and one of his eyes. He also walked with a severe limp but maintained a victorious expression.

Aromaru swore.

"There's only so far she could have gotten to...at this rate, I won't even get a shot at the other one…."

He felt someone behind him and turned around to get punched in the eye by a beaten-, but angry Kurama. He reformed the white reiki, hurling a continuous series of blasts at Youko, who was able to summon a plant to take the attacks for him, although it was completely disintegrated in the process. Aromaru leaped into the air; Youko looked around warily, leaping back as the Hunter suddenly landed at his side.

"That idiot should have just ended it," He muttered as he reshaped his energy into what looked like a spear. Youko kept ducking and dodging until they reached the edge of the clearing.

"He should have, shouldn't he…?"

Aromaru threw more strength into this next attack. He raised his arms, brought them rapidly down and…. hit the barrier. He pulled the weapon out quickly, but it was too late. The barrier sizzled and crackled before dissolving. Infuriated by the situation, he glared around for several seconds, in search of the silver fox. He felt something slam into the back of his head, andfellto the ground, cursing both kitsune. Youko stood above him, watching him coldly. Seishirou quietly approached swinging something around in the air.

'I do believe it's time to end this after all…'

He flung the objects at Youko, who was occupied with smashing in the still struggling Aromaru's face. He was just beginning to feel the pleasant crack of a caved-in skull when he heard something swishing in the air. Before he had a chance to get the smallest glimpse something knocked him away, sending him falling to the ground. It took him a moment to realize that some one was screaming. Natsumi was standing directly in front of him, or she was; she seemed to be kneeling and clutching at something.She was bawling uncontrollably as she continued to slump lower and lower. He pushed himself up and hurried over, kneeling beside her. Some of Seishirous's sickles had missed, but three of them were imbedded in her flesh; the first dug into her shoulder blade, deeply enough so that it wouldn't fall out easily. The second was impaled in her hip…there was no telling if it hit the actual bone. He removed her hands to look at the last one. The third one was the worst…this one was buried in her stomach; not only was her life force gushing out in spades from this injury but as he felt her stomach, he was horrified to discover that it felt as if her torso were ripped open. This sickle also looked like it had gone the furthest inside of her. He caught her before she fell all the way to the ground (putting as little pressure on his wrist as possible). She buried her face in his chest still writhing and shrieking.

Seishirou laughed.

"She must really care about you to do something so idiotic….imagine someone dying for a murderer."

He yanked the sickles out before Youko could jump him.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AHHHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!"

He took the split second he was given and tossed something at Seishirou, which flared upon contact; he turned and ran, running over the barely conscious Aromaru.

"I don't recall any healers being anywhere near here,' He panted, hurriedly dodging trees left and right. It would only be a matter of time before they caught up… while he wasn't in Natsumi's condition, he wasn't doing too well himself. He'd expended an unnecessarily large amount of youki fending Seishirou off. Who knew how much time he had to regain some of his strength? He felt his outfit being soaked and focused onthe sobbing vixen in his arms, clutching at him.

"Try your best not to think about it…I'll take care of it soon."

Natsumi looked up at him for an instant, face bloodied and puffy with tears, which were still falling heavily. He didn't like the way they were beginning to glaze over. He also noticed that she was gasping for air between her sobs. She whimpered loudly as he leaped over a stump, burying her face again. Her clothes were probably soaked in her blood now…. there was no way this could be delayed any longer. He stopped, gently lying Natsumi on the ground, and propped her up against a tree.

'I have to stop that bleeding.'

The injuries couldn't wait any longer. It would be better to alleviate her pain a little bit first, however, or she'd suffer even more He dug around in one of his hidden pockets, and pulled out a tiny brown sack. He untied the string wrapped around the top,withdrawing a handful of small, multicolored leaves.

"I need you to eat these…"

He held them up to her mouth. She coughed, spitting up blood on him. She continued to hack for several moments, simply lying and crying, unable to do much else. He stroked her face gently.

"It will alleviate the pain for awhile…"

She stared at him for a few seconds before opening her mouth, still whimpering and moaning.

"Good girl…"

He slipped the herbs into her mouth, not wanting her to aggravate the wounds by lifting an arm to eat them herself. He took a moment to eat a few himself before watching her again. She chewed slowly, eventually swallowing everything. Her sobbing ceased after a few minutes. She did look very tired, however.

"You should try and stay awake for now," He warned, shifting to check her stomach wound. Her clothing was completely drenched in blood around the torso area. His head whipped around quickly, looking for any other demons in the area, and then began to unfasten the top part of her outfit. Whatever he did, he'd have to do it fast. As he suspected, there was a noticeable hole in Natsumi's stomach. There was no telling if the sickle hit an organ. He tore off a large part of his cloak, tying it around the hole as tightly as he could. He did the same for the shoulder and hip injuries. He needed a healer quickly; there was only so much he could so in this situation. He dressed her again and lifted her once more so they could be on their way.

OOOOO

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed, but once night had fallen he decided to stop for awhile and see how Natsumi was holding up. He looked around for any suitable shelter.

'What's that?'

An oval-shaped cave lurked in the distance. Upon closer inspection, he saw that itwas more of adome structure.

'It will do for now.'

A wave of exhaustion washed over him, and he entered the dark cave, placing Natsumi down against one of the walls as far back into the 'dome' as possible. He used yet more plants to provide some kind of bedding for them….he was really starting to feel the drain in youki now. He ignored it and went back over to Natsumi, again sliding her top down. His heightened sight allowed him to see that the blood still soaked through his makeshift bandages. He ripped up more strips of cloth, until the cloak was no more. He tied them on even tighter, making Natsumi gasp a little bit. The shoulder wound was pretty bad as well. He scowled.

'The little idiot never listens to what I say…'

Natsumi looked up at him and smirked weakly.

"Are you angry at me? I was just trying to save your ass."

She spoke softly, without any of her usual vigor.

"Well because you 'tried', we're going to fall behind."

He shifted Natsumi onto the leaves, taking care not to touch her left arm. He took two large leaves and wrapped them tightly around her shoulder blade, hopefully binding it for awhile.

"Well, what the hell was I supposed to do if you kicked the bucket? I would have been all alone…"

"You _could _have hidden yourself for a while, and then made a break for it. I've told you where you need to go. Why the hell are you so dependent all of a sudden?"

Natsumi glared.

"Fine!"

She shifted, turning way from him. She winced.

"Let the damn Hunters get you next time!"

She slumped, curling up on the ground as best as she could. Youko moved around to face her again.

"Don't move around to much, you'll make it worse."

Natsumi stared blankly ahead out the cave-dome's entrance. Kurama's expression softened.

"What am I supposed to do when my partners get these kinds of injuries? You won't be doing anything for awhile, and I need you."

Natsumi's eyes rolled back to him.

"I'll heal like I did before…" She forced herself up; Youko moved to support her.

"What are you doing?"

Natsumi sat crookedly between his legs, gazing up at him, while he held her up. She forced herself higher, ignoring the other kitsune's objections.

"We'll train some more and get revenge on all of 'em!"

She threw herself at him, catching him in a kiss, although one with almost no force Youko noted. He put up no resistance, far more concerned with her condition, as he could feel her body quiver with the strain of sitting up. After a few split seconds before she started hacking again, spraying blood on Kurama's face, and started to slump again, despite her best resistance. He caught her long before she sustained any new injuries she was still coughing up while Kurama observed grimly. There was definitely nothing he could do about _that. _He tore off part of his clothing and wiped the blood from her face (and then his), after which he lay her down again.

"Stop overexerting yourself."

Natsumi's breath was heavy, ragged again. Her voice was barely a notch over whispering.

"I'm fine! I just need to rest for just a little while… I'm so tired," she moaned.

Kurama grabbed some more plants and propped them under her head.

"I guess it's all right if you go to sleep for a little while…."

The rest might help her regain a little strength for the time being.

"Lie next to me."'

"For someone who's supposed to be in such shitty shape you sure are demanding."

"Please….?"

"Give me a moment."

He took a few more leaves and bound them around his own arm, making sure it was tight enough before stretching out opposite her, the better to keep an eye on her. He brushed some stray bangs out of her face.

"Just go to sleep for now. I'll wake you."

Natsumi slid closer, wrapping her arm around his waist. She moved up so she could lay her head on his shoulder.

"'Night."

She drifted into unconsciousness. Youko lie there for awhile, wondering if he could get somewhere and get some more supplies to help her. What if they waited for a little while before starting again?

'No," He thought. They needed to get out of here quickly… this wasn't the time or place for recovery. He looked over at the dozing vixen, listening to her silent breath. A part of him worried about her making it through the night. He instantly forgot about this worry however, and laid a hand lightly on her side. He watched her for awhile, trying unsuccessfully to keep awake.

OOOOO

Youko awoke abruptly; well, not quite abruptly…he still felt a little weary, but more awake than usual.

'How odd, I-'

He looked out the entrance of the cave and saw that it was already either late in the morning, or early in the afternoon. Not only did he fall asleep, but he slept late. They had to leave immediately. Something was awry , he just couldn't put a finger on it…perhaps that was why he had awakened so suddenly. He brushed his hair away, startled to find he was covered in a cold sweat.

'What the hell?'

He shook it off.

'I don't have time to analyze my subconscious,'

He sat up and moved over to the apparently still sleeping Natsumi and knelt down, shaking her lightly.

"We have to move on."

No response.

"Natsumi," He said a little louder, moving around to the other side in order to see any movement from the vixen. She probably slept like a rock. He noticed that her face looked extremely drained than before. There was dried blood all around her mouth while fresh rivers continued to drain from the orifice. Highly concerned, he began to shake her a little harder.

" _Wake up_!"

He looked at the ground around Natsumi and saw that it was covered in a large pool of blood. He pulled her clothing down and saw that the cloth around her stomach was soaked to the point of no longer clinging to the wound. There wassomething poking out of the wound, although he wasn't sure what it was and didn't want to know. I t was only then that he finally noticed that he could no longer sense Natsumi's youki.

"Oh no…"

He looked down at her body, not bothering to move for several minutes, frozen where he sat. His whole body felt drained all of a sudden, like something very vital was taken away and left him with emptiness. It still didn't feel quite….real. After all these years, his kit couldn't be gone. Not after one nasty incident. Finally he knelt and lifted her, cradling her in silence. He buried his face in her hair. The sense of loss grew steadily with each passing moment, as it finally started to sink in that she was gone.

'Great,' He scowled. 'Another death on my conscience.' His expression relaxed.

"I hope you at least had the rare privilege of being asleep," he said softly, holding her even more tightly. It was more than likely that she _had_ died in her sleep, but whether it was from the bleeding or choking he would never know. He'd fed her a bunch of lies about continuing their partnership elsewhere and staying together…or maybe _she _lied to him about sticking around to get revenge. He smiled weakly at this. It wasn't important now. He sat there for what seemed like at least an hour before he picked her up and exited the cave. He lay her down against the walls of the entrance, looking around for a moment. He walked behind the cave; a few meters away, a massive tree (maybe three feet in width) stood, its thick branches casting shadows over the cave-dome. Directly beneath this tree was a small trench, no more than seven or eight feet in length, and two feet wide. He went back to the front of the cave, and brought Natsumi's body back to the trench, stopping to look down on her once more. His eyes stopped when they caught a glimpse of her blood-stained necklace. He pondered taking it, but then decided against it. It was hers.

He succumbed to his dark silence again, thinking about all that happened in the years he had known her; their fist meeting…the numerous " whore wars", and their night of "passion," if you could call it that. He smiled slightly for a brief instant, his bangs falling to hide his eyes.

"You and Kuronue were both idiots," he croaked. "I don't know why either of you thought you didn't mean anything… That's probably why you didn't get along. You fools had more in common than you realized. "

He studied Natsumi's lifeless face with unwavering attention.

"I have to go…."

He kissed her forehead, staying bent for several seconds, not budging an inch. Then, ever so slowly, he moved down, until his warm lips interacted with hers. They were so cold; it was now painfully clear to him that she'd never be able to appreciate the moment. He nuzzled her lightly, and started to rise reluctantly. He lifted her and gently placed her in the trench, brushing her hair out of the way; he traced her features with his fingers one last time, before he stood upright again, tossing something into the indented ground with his good arm. Several large green and violent plants sprouted, covering the grave and its contents; they spread and rose so that any trespassers would merely think it was a particularly large brush. Youko staggered, having felt yet another massive loss of youki because of this but remained standing.

"Goodbye, Natsumi-chan..."

He ran out of the area, not looking back, swallowing the sudden burst of emotion that rose in his chest.

OOOOO

"Damn it! Relentless sons of bitches!"

He'd had to veer eastward off course to avoid another group of hunters who were unfortunately aware of his presence. He found himself fleeing through a barren plain , making use of the three good legs he had. The sky faded to a deep reddish-brown, lightening crackling every now and then. Youko could make out some large shapes in the distance; as his rapid footsteps brought him gradually closer, he discovered that they were cliffs. If only he could get there….He growled as he heard footsteps behind him.

"Take him, dead or alive! No more games like that idiot Seishirou!"

"This shit ends _today_!"

Kurama shifted to his full kitsune just in time to avoid a sky-colored blast of reiki. He kept switching directions at random, vainly trying to throw them off, but of course to no avail…desperation had its effects even on _him. _

"Why don't you just give it up now?" A voice taunted behind him. "It looks like the great Youko Kurama's finally running out of steam!"

'Tch…pathetic attempts at distractions.'

He winced as more and more jagged rocks cut his paws, drawing blood, but he still kept straining to speed up. He couldn't use much of his youki now…he was conserving what little he had left; as a result, it was difficult to sense the shots being hurled at him from behind. He turned his head in time to duck a crimson- colored shockwave; it just barelygrazed him. He blinked as a few drops of blood fell into his eye. He preferred not to acknowledge the fact that despite his efforts he was indeed slowing down….

'Wait….why don't I hear them anymore……?'

He still kept running, well aware that they likely had some cheap plan to catch him….but in his condition, it might prove to be fatal. Three streaks of light ahead of him caught his attention.

'What are those…_shit_!'

All three beams were focused on him. He leaped over the first one, but was sent flying by the second one, getting knocked out of the path of the third one. Before he was able to land, something hit him in the side. He yelped in pain as he landed on his back, struggling to fight the immense pain reverberating in his spine . They gathered around, murmuring and bragging; he forced himself to his feet and attempted an assault on the closest one. Another blast caught him in the stomach; simultaneously the hunter kicked him in the mouth, smashing his fangs. Kurama slumped to the ground, as another Hunter stepped on his back. The group shared a laugh.

'Think you've got me, do you?'

His eyes rolled around frantically, straining to see the faces of his enemies, but his eyesight was already blurring. Now was the time to use that last bit of reiki. His closed his eyes and focused on leaving the battered body. He felt himself disconnect from his physical surroundings.

"Heh…. I can't believe it's taken this long to kill an _animal."_

"Guess he was out of tricks….let's finish it then."

"_I'll _do it," said the Hunter who had stepped on his back. "He's _mine."_

A small beam of light shot from the dead fox's body at the same instant the Hunter's foot snapped it's neck. The group paid little mind to it, discussing what kind of rewards they would get for this catch, now that the thief's reign of terror seemed to have ended.

OOOOO

He would never have imagined he'd end up in such as the ningenkai; he would have laughed about such a thing long ago. Ironically however, this world ended up being his sanctuary, so to speak, and it would eventually lead to his 'rebirth'. After he had broken through the barrier which supposedly protected the ningenkai from such creatures as him, he'd spent time desperately seeking some type of protection. His spirit form would be even more vulnerable. After some quick thinking he had ended up inside the fetus of an impregnated ningen. He couldn't think of a safer place when he had such limited time to do so, and his options were limited. He'd had to rid the body of the original soul that occupied it to secure this 'safe spot', but what had to be done had to be done. Like it was going to be so pleasant spending the next several years living as a _human… _He curled up into the dark recesses of the underdeveloped child's mind, waiting to return to the living world. He'd return to the Makai eventually, when his powers regenerated properly… But for now, he would have to adjust to this body and bide his time.

' Life goes on,' he thought, somewhat bitterly, as he sunk into the child's subconscious to rest.

And that my friends, is the end of the story! I'm so sorry about the shitty ending though! I wanted to end it where he hid in the womb, but I guess I didn't do it too gracefully. But anyway, end of the road! I can't believe I made it to the end! I'm so happy! But I'll miss all your support and hope that you'll be around for my other works! I love every one of you who reviewed/ added me to your favorites/ added me to your alert/ etc. You lifted my spirits! And to those of you who simply read (and kept reading if you liked it) thanks you as well! As always, review and tell me what you think, and newcomers should review other chapters as well if they feel like it. I REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REVIEW THIS STORY, NOW MATTER HOW MUCH TIME PASSES BY! Until next story! I'll miss you! Final random note: I was going to do a sequel, but I just didn't think it would work , and it would be too problematic. Maybe that's why the ending's not exactly super…

Farewell for now!


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